Woman charged with first degree murder, firearm charge in Fort Smith shooting

Kelsey Christine Dampier
Kelsey Christine Dampier

FORT SMITH -- Prosecutors have charged an Oklahoma woman in the shooting death Thursday of a Fort Smith man.

Kelsey Christine Dampier, also known as Kelsey Christine Stafford, 27, of Pocola, Okla., was charged Friday with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by certain persons, according to a news release from Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue.

Police responded about 3:30 p.m. Thursday to the 600 block of North 18th Street on a report of a shooting. They found Joshua Flanagan, 37, of Fort Smith with a single gunshot wound in the stomach. He was taken to a hospital, where he died, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police located a woman who was with Flanagan when he was shot. She told police Dampier was upset because her phone had been stolen, and Dampier had pinged her phone to Flanagan, according to the affidavit.

Flanagan argued with Dampier, and Dampier pulled out a purple .380-caliber handgun and shot Flanagan once in the stomach, the affidavit says. Another woman who lives in the neighborhood gave a similar account and picked Dampier's photograph out of a photo lineup, according to the affidavit.

Police eventually located Dampier at a residence in the 500 block of North 19th Street. Police searched the home and found a purple .380-caliber handgun in a trash can, according to the affidavit.

One man in the house told police Dampier had claimed her phone was stolen earlier in the day.

"She started blaming everyone in the house, and at some point pulled out her gun, which he described as a purple handgun, and told them that she would kill someone for stealing her phone," the affidavit states.

No bond has been set for Dampier, Shue said. Her arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday.

Thomas Saccente can be reached by email at [email protected].

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