Noted now for being an obsolete method of execution, death by electrocution is still a legal secondary execution practice in Arkansas. AR man allegedly kills wife in front of sons, La. Packard stopped making automobiles in 1958, and garages willing to repair cars overnight vanished long ago. After waiting several hours for Roberts to return, Bergeron called the police. [], JONESBORO, Ark. In Buddhism, the willow branch represents compassion. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Since the case against the men depended on his testimony, charges had to be dismissed after his death. And we still have some of those here today.". But subtle clues soon tipped off her loved ones that there was more to the story. Despite Rector's mental state, then Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton made a point of returning to Arkansas to oversee Rector's January 24, 1992 execution during the 1992 U.S. Presidential campaign. Without a doubt, the most famous murders in Arkansas, as well as the most controversial and infamous Arkansas murders case, is the 1993 triple homicide of 8 year olds Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers, more commonly known as the West Memphis Three case. In those halcyon days the dollar seemed like a good investment, and so the diamond found its way to New York, where it was purchased by E. B. McFarlin of San Antonio in 1956. When police found a 21-year-old female brutally murdered in her hotel room, the mystery was just beginning. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? (The independent Roberts kept no servants.) Her friends said that there was a "creepy" man talking to Morgan around the last time she was seen. New book investigates unsolved murders across Northeast Arkansas New book investigates unsolved murders across Northeast Arkansas. Parks' security firm was later contracted to guard Clinton's presidential campaign headquarters in 1992. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. They ranged from punishing Banks for an alleged affair with a white woman to sending a grim warning to the few successful black citizens of Crittenden County. Others describe a girl in a white dress, draped in a motorcycle jacket, who forever wanders the highway in search of her deceased prom date. The organization's primary goals are to comfort parents of missing children, while also helping law enforcement find missing youngsters. And thanks to improving forensic science, investigators uncovered a strand of DNA from one of the shoelaces used to subdue the victims that did not match any of the WM3. "The Hot Springs Police Department and the Watts family are asking for help from the media and public to bring light on this case as it will be one year as of Dec. 29 since this horrendous crime took place," Anaya said, noting they are seeking any information leading to the arrest of the individuals involved. The local Packard garage might have had the necessary parts to repair the carbut it had to order them and wait five days instead. Roten checked in with other districts all across the state, but the only two incidents appeared to come from Little Rock. Family members said he was all but cut out of her will. Garland County Prosecutor Michelle Lawrence confirmed Thursday the case was still under review by her office. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. One of the survivors, Henry Greenbaum, describes watching five of his siblings die at the hands of the Nazis. Until then, natives of the Natural State will remain haunted by these unsolved mysteries. At first, her mother was uncertain, but eventually let her go. All of the links in this post refer back to the author's references. as well as Little Rock. For much of the 20th century, the South was an inhospitable place for African Americans. Does a killer still roam free in Arkansas? The Packard was found abandoned 56 miles east of the spot where the bodies were discovered. Miller county sheriff's deputies have charged a brother and sisterwith the murdersof two Texarkana men who's bodies were found inside a charred car. On May 24, shortly before 12:30 p.m., a shooting was reported at 234 Adcock Road. A litany of theories emerged as motives for the murder. Once confident of solving the case, they have lost their optimism with the years. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. A look at what bills could become laws in Arkansas next week, Tornado impacts Pike County, community begins clean up, Your Arkansas weather forecast from THV11, School bus crash causes traffic delays on I-630, The Democrat-Gazette ran a follow-up story, The story did little to dispel the rumors, though, famous philosophers and complex mathematical theorems, investigating reports of "cattle rustling", swept the country in the late 19th century, a handful of restaurants in Virginia Beach, Her case received assistance from the FBI, Arkansas' ugliest years of racial bloodshe, a formal investigation was never performed, the latest mention of this story dates back to late 2011, Parks' security firm was later contracted, Clinton's far-right critics pounced on the murder, also tried to link Clinton to the murders, dismissed such claims as "unsubstantiated", unnamed suspect might also have ties to Jerry's murder, were released per the controversial Alford Plea in 2011, physical evidence linking the WM3 to the crime scene, witnesses who originally testified against the trio, DNA from one of the shoelaces used to subdue, On the evening of the murders a "disoriented", was discovered in one of the sheets used to wrap the victims. Ted Hercutt, for example, said the SUV's airbags did not deploy,there were no skid marks at the scene and an electronic device in the Escalade showed it was going just 7 mph before it wrecked. You may find yourself wondering, Why is Arkansas crime rate so high? Although there is not a single, nor a simple, answer to this complex question, it can be assumed that Little Rocks crime rate is higher than smaller towns in Arkansas due majorly to its size and population. Later that night, a large fire sprung up in parts of Pulaski, Lonoke, and Jefferson Counties. The cars spare tire had no inner tube; perhaps the Fromes had stopped to fix a flat tire, only to encounter a not-so-good Samaritan. And we still are.". James Hendricks and Kimberlin Mills (known as Jimmy and Kim respectively) are American murder victims who were discovered on June 17, 1978. In January 2007, outgoing Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made a peculiar request of his staff: destroy the office computers. During the final week of 2020, three homicides were reported that are still unresolved despite the respective agencies and families of the victims involved reaching out for help. But Jim Parsons is determined to solve the mystery. Despite the passing of two decades, LRPD's investigation into the elder Parks' murder is ongoing. None of his relatives would claim the body, and he was buried in a pauper's grave. McCarter, the chief detective, would not releasethe initial report a decade after the crash. A local business owner was hit with check fraud, her report to police said, after a check from her account for several thousand dollars was cashed in North Little Rock. The pair were believed to have been seen together at a truck stop in Missouri, which is where the murders are presumed to have taken place.Hendricks was left at the crime scene, while Mills was found in Mississippi County, Arkansas. When her mother, Colleen Nick, came to get Morgan to go home, she found no trace of her daughter. Hobbs had a history of child abuse and was reportedly the last person seen with three boys. Sevier County Sheriff Monte Stringfellow says that they responded to a call at a home in the 300 block of Dogtown Road, just after 11 p.m. Thursday night. The local police quickly rushed to the conclusion, claiming the boys had died from a drug overdose on the tracks. Ely has been distributing a flyer about the reward which includes a tip line, (501) 777-9805, and an email for tips at Ethan-Tips@protonmail.com. It worked. Authorities also discovered that the names in the Bible belonged to a family the victim stayed with while living in Dallas. On June 4, 1968, while the museum was open to the public, a thief smashed the display case and snatched the jewel. Parks' son, Gary, also tried to link Clinton to the murders. Where is the diamond? (It is perhaps worth noting that the laws of the state of Texas are somewhat more lenient, and its citizens have considerably more difficulty keeping their jewels.) Susie Ward/Piner and Mary Isabell Piner/Ball/Johnson are the focus of my search. Morgan's friends told police that they saw her talking to a "creepy" man. Jimmy Dunn, the districtattorney general, declined to comment. Thank you to Brandon Howard with Highlands Today for the story. "911. Or their Packard might not have developed a noise in the motor just before they reached the Texas border citybut it did. He discovered that another elderly woman who had sold real estate to Horton had disappeared in 1969, in an apparently unrelated case. The police have the man who did it, and he is indeed behind bars. Driftwood? "And I think that sometimes it takes years and years to solve a case. Someone likely killed her at her home, detectives determined, then placed her body in her SUV and sent it tumbling off an embankment near some rental cabins she owned. Her possessions gave investigators little to work with. Five famous cases the police may never mark closed.. Even the desert itself is different, a victim of the encroaching city and land developers. The 2019 homicide rate in Arkansas, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report, was an 8.0, meaning that Arkansas murders rate showed that roughly 8 individuals per 100,000 residents of the state were murdered in 2019. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were around 9,951 murders in Arkansas alone. Clinton's far-right critics pounced on the murder. The Cortez Hotel, where Hazel and Nancy Frome spent their last five nights, booked its final guest in 1970; it has been converted into a Job Corps center. So what's all this got to do with Arkansas? On April 17, 1905, an African-American levee worker named John Barnett was hanged by a black mob near Askew (Lee County) for allegedly murdering a fellow worker. On November 11, 2009, Vance was convicted of capital murder, residential burglary, rape, and theft of property. At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch lightning bugs with her friends. In old interviews, Ted Hercutt openly acknowledged his status as a suspect but consistently denied any involvement. "We don't know if it's drug related or some sort of payback or what. When the Sevier County officers arrived, appellant admitted to being in his parents' home to get the keys to a family vehicle, a Chrysler Conquest, on the night of the murders. Email Map. At the sound of the alarm, the exit from the room containing the diamond was blocked by a gate descending from the ceilingbut the thief left the lawn chair in the doorway to keep the gate from dropping all the way to the floor. Billie Jean Phillips She was murdered in her Madison County home on September 2, 1994. The long-time reporter told NEA Report his book title has meaning in correlation with a lot of the cases in the book, especially the three unsolved murder cases. In the nearly 20 years since her disappearance, Morgan's story has gained national attention. Anyone with information can call the sheriff's office at (501) 622-3660 or the criminal investigation division at (501) 622-3690. Chitwood decided a court of inquiry was necessary, and Judge Dee Brown Walker agreed. According to investigators, the man killed his wife in front of his children. Roberts ample fortune has disappeared toothough less mysteriouslyand so have two other people, and an attorney has served a prison term, making the Roberts affair one of the most bizarre missing persons cases on record. The memo also says the backups were supposed to be delivered to a Huckabee aide. Moreover, witnesses who originally testified against the trio later said they were pressured by law enforcement officials to do so. On the night of the fire, local authorities were besieged by reports of the fireballs in the sky. 2. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Leave them blank to get signed up. Get more stories delivered right to your email. The real Wick claimed she didn't know the victim. The primary focus is on victims Rebekah Gould, Karen Johnson Swift, and Amanda Tusing. However, if you are looking for unsolved case information, it is unlikely that you will be able to easily find Pulaski County murders evidence or Pulaski County murders crime scene photos until the case goes to trial. Rumors swirled. He finally sat down with the lead investigator on the case over a year ago and Jared said they hashed it out. However, a local witness claims that he saw two police officers beating two boys senseless in a store parking lot before tossing them into a truck and driving away. But he had a good reputation for paying his gambling debts. Ted Hercutt was never charged, and he died in 2017. Other than Horton himself, no one except Ardis ODell Reed may know for certain where Tex Roberts is, but after he was released on $15,000 bond, Ardis ODell Reed vanished for over two years. woman accused of using aunts debit card for 136 DoorDash orders held on preset $18 million bond. Authorities in Arkansas are seeking information in a double homicide that has remained unsolved for 21 years. Farenthold had filed a complaint against four men subsequently indicted for conspiracy to defraud him of $100,000. Usually, its a quiet whisper because you dont want anyone to know you committed this horrible heinous crime.. Theres a possibility that a law officer may have been involved in her murder.. Thank you! Now the bodyguard began to investigate in earnest. While browsing the internet for a list of murders in Arkansas, list of Arkansas murders, or all murders in Arkansas, youll find both solved and unsolved cases, some of which have received a lot of media attention, and others that have almost no information or receive no attention from the media. All police have is a single description, plus the certain clue that the King must have had close contacts in Dallas society. The Sharp's neighbor, Lisa Arbor can see their home from her front yard, but says although she's shocked, she's not surprised. She was very passionate about her company," said Madewell, who now runs Auntie Belham's alongside his wife. A third possibility caught the attention of the FBI, which entered the case to investigate a possible obstruction of justice. Clues have been hidden in digital images, spread physically across the globe, and often reference the work of famous philosophers and complex mathematical theorems. As late as 1965, Department of Public Safety Director Homer Garrison could say, I think theres a good possibility this case will still be solved someday. If it is, Garrison wont be around to see it. todaysthv.com. Two days after Roberts disappeared, Horton filed deeds to virtually all of Roberts real property, including the mansion on Spring Valley Road, at the Dallas County courthouse. The secret starts in the wooded terrain of Jack Mountain in Hot Spring County, where hunters found the remains of Linda Edwards back in 1977. In a joint statement on April 13, investigators noted it is believed White's death, which was determined to be a homicide, was "an isolated incident" in response to unconfirmed reports circulating in the community that multiple victims were involved. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Its available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. The question on many residents' minds: were the two incidents linked? After the discovery of her nude body in a dry creek bed, the medical examiner ruled . It was September 27, 2004, when the family of 22-year-old Rebekah Gould received the news they were not hoping to hear - her body was discovered in a ditch, bludgeoned to . Hercutt's family fell apart as accusations flew. The book also delves into Arkansas death row, which made it back into the news in 2017. Frazier had been reported missing out on Feb. 8. A lot of new witnesses and implications have come to the surface, Jared said. Finally, some unsolved central Arkansas murders include the 2011 murder of Kimberly Steele, the 2002 murder of Jane Murdaugh, the 1987 murder of Sandra Lynn Williams, and the 1995 murder of Robin Lynn Farnsworth, among others. Huckabee's staff obliged, wiping the memory of more than 100 computers before smashing their hard drives beyond repair. Then Horton withdrew the fundsto send to Tex, the attorney told Bergeron, pursuant to a prearranged plan. John Burnett was apprehended and hanged a month later in Fayeteville as well. Unsolved murder cases involving three women are the focus of the new book which was just released Friday, Aug 16. . The Cadillac Escalade was towed to an impound lot, andthe 40-year-old businesswoman's body was sent to a funeral home to be preparedfor burial. The search centered for a while on a young gigolo, but the police could prove nothing. If you enjoy coverage like this, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. It was one of many reported "airship" sightings that swept the country in the late 19th century. Well, two of the clues were posted in Fayetteville and Little Rock. Some unsolved murders in Little Rock, Arkansas, include the 1989 murder of Anita Shell, the 2015 murder of Ebby Steppach, and the 1993 murder of Jerry Parks, among many others. A well known, quasi-political figure around Arkansas in the late 1980s and early 90s, Luther Gerald "Jerry" Parks, Jr. oversaw Bill Clinton's security detail while Clinton was governor. Mention "Woodson Lateral Road" to most Arkansans over 40 and you're bound to hear the Natural State's version of the vanishing hitchhiker legend. Clinton associate murdered execution style. Arkansas, USA : C : Hoyt Franklin CLINES March 25, 1981: 1: Arkansas, USA : Johnie Michael . Willow trees are another deliberate choice Jared made to include in the book. She had also been arrested in Texas under the aliases "Cheryl Wick," "Kelly Carr/Karr," "Sharon Wiley," and "Mercedes.". Although there are around 2,100 unsolved murders in Arkansas, most people with an interest in true crime may only know some of the better-known murders. Hes willing to tell where it is, toobut not unless the feds or the state grant him favors. 2009 KSLA-TV & Raycom Media. A willows branches reach toward the ground and raindrops falling from the branches resemble tears, giving it the name weeping willow. Willow trees are prevalent in fiction but throughout cultures across the world, too. Vance was reportedly a fan of Pressly, and was a frequent viewer of her morning news show. In his telling, the father quickly realized his daughter did not die by accident, recruited a retired park ranger to investigate and pushed for an autopsy to be performed. Unfortunately, it seems there may never be an end to the growing number of Arkansas homicide and true crime stories in Arkansas, although advancements in forensic technology gives us hope that we can finally see justice for many cold cases which have remained unsolved for decades. Cherry was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, but upon appeal of his conviction, his sentenced was reduced to 30 years. Easily the state's most infamous missing persons case, 6-year-old Morgan Nick was abducted from a little league baseball game in Alma in June of 1995. Their hangings were reportedly well attended. Hercutt's father, Ted, was strong-willed, too. That autopsy found Hercutt suffered headinjuries she couldn't possibly have sustained in the crash. On June 9, 1995, Morgan Nick and her mother, Colleen Nick, went to a Little League baseball game in their town of Alma, Arkansas. In June of 2000, Amanda Tusing was found dead in the Big Bay Ditch in Craighead County, Arkansas, 14 miles from where her car was discovered three days earlier. Although many of Arkansas cold cases will or have remained cold for decades, and often times run completely out of leads as tips run out, there have been countless Arkansas cold cases solved and Arkansas murders solved in the past few years thanks to technological advancements as well as advancements in DNA technology. The two had a tumultuous relationship characterized by bouts of estrangement and reconciliation. The decision remains controversial as the families of the three victims are divided in their opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the West Memphis Three. Address: 137 W. Robinson Road De Queen, AR 71832 Administrative Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm Unsolved Cases We will post information regarding unsolved cases in Sevier County. On April 30, shortly after 5 p.m., the body of Joseph Darnell Frazier, 48, of Hot Springs, was found in the 2500 block of Glazypeau Road. Convicted of murder after a two-day trial in May 1945, Hall was sentenced to death. Deputy dining at IHOP makes arrest for disorderly conduct, JONESBORO Arkansas State University has released the list of students who were awarded diplomas on the undergraduate and graduate levels during the 2017 Spring Commencement ceremony May 13 in the Convocation Center. Johnson has since faced run-ins with Arkansas law subsequent to his release and is currently serving a four-year federal sentence on weapon and drug charges. Huckabee briefly addressed the issue in 2007, saying the hard drives were destroyed to "protect the privacy" of people whose information was stored in the data. From the name on the ID, authorities found that the deceased had stolen the identity of a Cheryl Ann Wick in Minnesota. And Nancy and her mother might be alive todaybut they arent. Sep 16, 2019 NEA . The third case began in October, 2011. Here are 10 more mysteries to explore. The list of his victims read like the Dallas social register: James Ling, Clint Murchison, Sr., P. E. Haggerty (then president of Texas Instruments), and at least a dozen others. An El Paso truck driver reported seeing a black sedan following the Packard early on the afternoon of the murders; several hours later the two cars passed him going the opposite direction, followed closely by a third car with mysterious markings on the side. "And everybody who worked for her obviously she was pretty strong-willedbut she had very loyal people whoworked for her. Karen Johnson Swift, a mother of four, went missing. But he would like to. Authorities say the couple's 13 and 15 year old sons witnessed the shooting of their mother. Mary Isabel Piner/Ball/Johnson lived in Madison Co. AR came from NC and TN to AR. JONESBORO, Ark. Forty minutes later, they returned, but found no trace of the pilot or his mysterious airship. The 40-year-old was a hardworking business owner, a loving sister and an incredible aunt to Penny's daughter. Further complicating the case was the mysterious "Mr. After the body was initially found, it was sent to the state crime lab where positive identification was later made on May 11. Name: Date: Victims: Location : B: Charles Jason BALDWIN: May 5, 1993: 3 ? Burnett's teenage daughter Minerva led authorities to find that her parents had planned Selby's murder and her brother John had carried it out. Valuable jewelry had been ignored. Some of those chapters chronicle Holocaust survivors that Jared interviewed throughout the years. Anyone with information regarding Frazier's death is asked to email sheriff's Investigator J.D. Born in 1895, Banks lived through Arkansas' ugliest years of racial bloodshe. Some northern Arkansas unsolved murders include the 1998 murder of Valeria Christina Roberson, the 2000 murder of Amanda Renee Tusing, the 2001 murder of Tammy Jarvis, and the 2002 murder of Edward Choi, among many others. Bring on the Shiplap? More specifically, the crime rate in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2018 was 1,446.15 per 100,000 residents. Authorities ask anyone with information in the case to call the Sevier County Sheriff's Office at 865-453-4668 or 865-428-1899. He chronicles those experiences and cases, too. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. She left behind two college-age sons and two grade-school age daughters.. He was serving a 40 year state sentence for armed robbery and narcotics violations and an additional 30 year federal sentence for kidnapping and airplane hijacking. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies continue to work on the cases, which date from the last week of 2020 through . Some examples of cases where Little Rock murders DNA was used to solve or bring new information to light include the 1990 murder of Treva Parks and the 1990 murder of Pamela Felkins, among many others. It took one last cruel act of chancethe wrong meeting with the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong timeto produce a double torture-murder case that 38 years later remains in the Department of Public Safetys files, unsolved. Technically the 1968 robbery of the Witte Museum in San Antonio is not unsolved. She lived alone on East Milford Haven Drive outside Sevierville,and she never married or had children. If youre interested in learning about the statistics surrounding the number of murders in Arkansas by year, multiple law enforcement agencies offer reports and statistics on their websites. "As long as they don't give up, I think there's hope.". At first, her mother was uncertain, but eventually let her go. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? While most of the stories share similar motifs, the legend seems to have emanated from a report published in 1980. A local black coalition offered a $1,000 reward to anyone with information, but no one came forward. During his original stories with those subjects, Jared won Feature Writer of the Year from the AP and Arkansas Press Association. The couple's son's are now in the custody of relatives. The victim was a young blonde, and she had been savagely beaten before being shot in the head by her boyfriend. In January 1975, Carolyn Dianne Zachry of Ashdown paid two men (the exact amount is in dispute) to kill her husband -- the men took Curtis Eugene Zachry to a remote location under the pretense of. Bojangles." 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