Three men charged in killing

Third suspect denied bond in Dec. 28 killing of El Dorado man

Deuntae Williams
Deuntae Williams

EL DORADO -- Three men were being held over the weekend in the Union County jail on capital murder and other felony charges in a shooting that left an El Dorado man dead and another injured in late December.

First-appearance hearings were held Friday in district court for two of the defendants, Deuntae J. Williams, 20, of Pine Bluff and Markevius D. Blake, 19, of the Little Rock-Pine Bluff area.

The third suspect, Johnathan D. Boykin, 20, of Central Arkansas was arrested Feb. 10 in the killing of 30-year-old James D. Bowens Jr., who was fatally shot on the night of Dec. 28 as he slept inside a vehicle in the parking lot of Hudson Place Apartments in El Dorado.

Police were called to the scene at midnight.

Bowens was struck in the neck and shoulder while he was asleep in the front passenger's seat of the vehicle, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His cousin, a 30-year-old man whose name has still not been released by police who cited the ongoing investigation, was shot six times as he left an apartment and walked toward the vehicle in which Bowens was sleeping, authorities said.

Bowens' cousin was transported to the Medical Center of South Arkansas for treatment of his injuries. He has since been released from the hospital, police said.

Officers with the El Dorado Police Department's Criminal Investigative Division have said multiple shooters were involved in the incident.

They have released few other details about the case.

Williams, Blake and Boykin were identified as suspects in an investigation that is being conducted with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, authorities said.

Capt. Scott Harwell of the Criminal Investigative Division said investigators have not established a firm motive for the shooting.

U.S. marshals took Boykin into custody Feb. 10 in Little Rock.

Blake was arrested in Sheridan last Monday, and Williams was picked up in Pine Bluff two days later.

Each man faces two counts of capital murder, first-degree battery, terroristic act, aggravated assault, felony with a firearm, engaging in violent criminal group activity and carrying certain prohibited weapons.

Harwell said the second count of capital murder was applied to the list of offenses according to state law, which allows for the charge if a defendant is accused of committing or attempting to commit certain felony charges, including murder, manslaughter, terrorism, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, vehicular piracy and others.

Judge Jack Barker of 35th Judicial District Court said that because of the capital murder charges, prosecutors did not recommend bond for Boykin, Blake or Williams.

"And I did not set a bond. These are very serious offenses, and there is a strong possibility for the defendants to flee the jurisdiction," Barker said.

Each man appeared before the court via Justice Bridge, a teleconferencing system that allows the judge to communicate with defendants from the visitation room in the Union County jail.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors are also present.

Barker explained the charges and possible penalties that each defendant faces -- life in prison without the possibility of parole or death by lethal injection.

All three men were determined indigent and were assigned a public defender.

Johnathan Boykin
Johnathan Boykin
Markevius Blake
Markevius Blake

Upcoming Events