Affidavit: Sharp County suspect admits to 2 killings

He tells police women stole from him

Police tape
Police tape

A 24-year-old Sharp County man told police that he stabbed two women to death because they stole from him, and he tried to kill another woman because "he was tired of her talking," according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Charles Paul Stovall of Cherokee Village is being held in the Sharp County jail on potential charges of capital murder. Formal charges hadn't been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.

According to an affidavit filed in Sharp County Circuit Court, police received a 911 call on Oct. 19 when a friend found Hayleigh Gruger, 23, dead in her bedroom in Cherokee Village.

"Ms. Gruger had multiple stab wounds on her upper torso, drawings and burn marks on her body," according to the affidavit from Sharp County Chief Deputy Aaron Presser and Special Agent Wendall Jines of the Arkansas State Police.

While police were investigating at that homicide scene, Sharp County dispatchers received a call regarding a stabbing near Highland. Responding officers found Deborah Compton, who had been stabbed multiple times while riding in a vehicle with Stovall, according to the affidavit. Compton was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

Stovall was arrested shortly afterward.

"When asked why he attacked her, he stated he was tired of her talking," wrote Presser and Jines.

"When asked why he stabbed Gruger, he stated she had stolen from him and he wanted to get her back," according to the affidavit.

During the interview, Stovall told police that he also killed Linda Janny, 72, of Cherokee Village, according to the affidavit.

When asked why he killed Janny, according to the affidavit, Stovall said, "she stole from me. She stole my rights, my life. She stole everything I f have, you know what I mean, and I'm here to take it back."

Presser then asked Stovall, "and that's what you did, you took your stuff back from her basically by taking her life?"

"Stovall nodded in [agreement] and said, 'mhmm,'" according to the affidavit.

"Stovall stated he had planned to enter Ms. Janny's house to kill her," wrote Presser and Jines. "He stated he had found a hidden key outside of the residence and made entry. Stovall explained he went through the house and heard Ms. Janny sleeping in her bedroom. Stovall stated he approached the bed and stabbed her [multiple times]. After he killed her, he left with her personal items and her vehicle," the affidavit said.

The affidavit was filed along with a petition of revocation of suspended sentence.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tim Meitzen wrote that Stovall received a five-year suspended sentence on Dec. 11, 2018, for one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to court records, Stovall was paroled from prison in August after pleading guilty to drug charges in Pulaski County.

On Nov. 15, 2018, he was arrested while attempting to enter the emergency room at UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock. After being asked to place items from his pockets in bins at a metal detector, Stovall placed "what appeared to be controlled narcotics in one of the bins," according to a report from hospital police Sgt. Bradley Jones.

Stovall was charged with possession of methamphetamine, LSD, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with resisting arrest.

Stovall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison.

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