Boone County murder suspects caught after weeklong search near Buffalo River

Area of Buffalo River closed during widespread search

FILE -- Roark Bluff is seen in this Nov. 27 2020 file photo along the Buffalo National River at Steel Creek campground and river access.
(NWA Democrat-Gazettte/Flip Putthoff)
FILE -- Roark Bluff is seen in this Nov. 27 2020 file photo along the Buffalo National River at Steel Creek campground and river access. (NWA Democrat-Gazettte/Flip Putthoff)

MARSHALL -- Two people wanted in connection with a killing have been captured, according to a Thursday afternoon post on the Facebook page of the Searcy County Office of Emergency Management.

Jason Lee Stockstill, 49, and Heather Dawn Scallion, 38, wanted in connection with an Oct. 14 shooting in Boone County, were taken into custody at 3:20 p.m. Thursday off Circle H Road in Searcy County, according to the Facebook page of the Boone County sheriff's office.

The two surrendered without incident, and no officers were injured, the post said. Both are in custody at the Boone County Detention Center in Harrison, according to the Boone County report.

The two were sought in the shooting death of Tim Blackburn, 59, according to the sheriff's office. Blackburn was found with gunshot wounds around 10:30 a.m. Oct. 14 at a home in rural Boone County, according to media reports. He died at the hospital, the sheriff's office said.

The Searcy County Emergency Services Facebook page noted Thursday morning a hunter spotted the pair in the Calf Creek-Peter Cave Ridge area. Stockstill was wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans and carrying a backpack. Scallion was wearing a camouflage shirt, blue jeans and possibly a backpack.

The sheriff's office report said the two attempted to flag down a vehicle on Calf Creek Road.

Stockstill and Scallion were seen Wednesday fleeing law enforcement officers on foot from the Grinder's Ferry gravel bar in the Buffalo River, the report says.

Law enforcement officers from many departments helped in the search of the Middle District of the Buffalo National River area for about a week, including Buffalo National River, Searcy County sheriff"s office, Boone County sheriff's office, Arkansas State Police, Newton County sheriff's office, Harrison Police Department, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Arkansas Department of Corrections and North Arkansas Regional Medical Center Ambulance Service.

The National River Visitor Center at Tyler Bend, the Tyler Bend campground and the Buffalo River from Tyler Bend to Gilbert were temporarily closed Wednesday during the search, the Boone County sheriff's office Facebook page reported.

The Tyler Bend campground and river access are now open, and the Tyler Bend Visitor Center will open at 9 a.m. today , according to the Facebook page of the Buffalo National River.

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