We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Investigators said the case remains under investigation. A friend called Bergeron two days later with news of a special delivery letter from Tex, who wrote that he had left the state on business and that attorney Leon C. Horton would be managing his affairs during his absence. The Jonesboro prosecutor later stated that were it not for their ages, he would have sought a death sentence for the pair. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. But he would like to. Two weeks later, the two killers were caught in Portland, Oregon, and were sentenced by the state of Arkansas to die for their crimes The executions were carried out on January 8, 1997 by lethal injection. "As long as they don't give up, I think there's hope.". The indictment alleges that the four mentwo from Corpus Christi, two from Louisville, Kentuckyarranged, for Randy to buy Mafia skim money at a discount. He never cracked a safe but simply lifted the goods from a bathroom dressing table. Few reporters have covered as many murder cases with the passion of long-time journalist and author, George Jared. Special Report: Plans to exhume 1977 Arkansas murder victim's body are 'underway'. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Hes willing to tell where it is, toobut not unless the feds or the state grant him favors. He lived withand perhaps still lives withan older female companion, Jessie Forsyth. 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. When her mother, Colleen Nick, came to get Morgan to go home, she found no trace of her daughter. In his newest book, Whispers in the Willows, Jared explores three unsolved murder cases hes covered throughout the years, and more. Jesse Millinger disappeared early in the year of 1903 and had not been heard of since. After the discovery of her nude body in a dry creek bed, the medical examiner ruled . Mysteriously, she vanishes before they reach the destination, where her parents tell the driver that their daughter perished in a car accident many years ago. Stephens had been outspoken about the case in years past, speaking with local media outlets, offering cash rewards for information and expressing a lack of confidence in the investigation. 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. Both women had been savagely beaten and choked; in addition, a large piece of flesh had been bitten from Mrs. Fromes arm and Nancys body was marred by cigarette burns. Hot Springs authorities continue investigating unsolved homicides from Another case, which Jared has been following for many years, is the murder of Amanda Tusing. As of this writing, however, the latest mention of this story dates back to late 2011. He asked to be put in touch with Tex personally, but Horton insisted on protecting his clients strict request for secrecy. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He went on to criticizethe state highway patrol, whichworked the crash, and the sheriff's office, whichreceived the case after the autopsyon Aug. 6, 2009. as well as Little Rock. We've always constantlytried to do things to try to solve it. BOONE COUNTY, Ky. - Cold case detectives at the Boone County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky are investigating any possible connection between an unsolved double murder in 2011 and the 2017 . Mathis was lying next to the road in a driveway with "what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds. Another of many Arkansas killers, who is considered to have been a spree killer, is Ronald Gene Simmons Sr., who killed 16 people in a week-long murder spree in 1987. Clues have been hidden in digital images, spread physically across the globe, and often reference the work of famous philosophers and complex mathematical theorems. The Sharp's neighbor, Lisa Arbor can see their home from her front yard, but says although she's shocked, she's not surprised. Simmons was charged with 16 counts of murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death. The question on many residents' minds: were the two incidents linked? HOT SPRINGS, Ark. "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. At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch lightning bugs with her friends. At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch lightning bugs with her friends. A lot of new witnesses and implications have come to the surface, Jared said. These names were given to the FBI, and authorities later discovered that the victim was also wanted for bank robbery in various states on the East Coast. Arkansas murderers list | Murderpedia He discovered that another elderly woman who had sold real estate to Horton had disappeared in 1969, in an apparently unrelated case. 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. The memo also says the backups were supposed to be delivered to a Huckabee aide. Thank you to Brandon Howard with Highlands Today for the story. That nightafter all, it was only one nightthe socially prominent women did something a little out of character; they went to Juarez and lived it up. 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. "And don't sit there and act like you're so innocent.". On June 6, 1972, it was neither. Once confident of solving the case, they have lost their optimism with the years. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. Her possessions gave investigators little to work with. On one venture, which netted him $215,000 in stones, the King apparently leaped fifteen feet from a wall to a narrow second-story bathroom window ledge. Murder Mystery: Most Likely To Be Murdered Part 2. For much of the 20th century, the South was an inhospitable place for African Americans. Ted Hercutt was never charged, and he died in 2017. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. On August 19, 2011, they entered Alford pleas, which allow them to assert their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them. Technically the 1968 robbery of the Witte Museum in San Antonio is not unsolved. He claimed that his father had collected a file on Clinton's salacious activities and that he was subsequently executed because of its contents. Police assume he cut it up into little pieces (greatly reducing its value) and kept it. There are rumors of an unidentified figure in military fatigues loitering in the area before the train ran over Kevin and Don. The case reached a new level of prominence in 2015 when Shannon Hercutt's sisterwent on the Dr. Phil show to accuse theirfatherof orchestrating her murder. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Then Horton withdrew the fundsto send to Tex, the attorney told Bergeron, pursuant to a prearranged plan. 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. These cases are still remembered by many Arkansanswhopray for justice. Karen Johnson Swift, a mother of four, went missing. Friday Sept. 8, Bausdell and Stewart Ownby two huntsmen came upon a skeleton of a human being about a mile and a half from the . 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. The Phantom Killer: Behind An Unsolved Murder Spree In Arkansas Family members said he was all but cut out of her will. A-State Announces 2017 Spring Graduation List, JPD: One arrested after downtown crowd gets out of hand, Two teens arrested in Jonesboro shootings, Sheriff investigating raw sewage dumped in Izard County, Suspect breaks into home and refuses to come out: JPD, Report: Male assaulted, shot at in Jonesboro. The local police quickly rushed to the conclusion, claiming the boys had died from a drug overdose on the tracks. 6720, he said. The puzzle is still currently ongoing and its progress can be followed here. While most of the stories share similar motifs, the legend seems to have emanated from a report published in 1980. The victim was a young blonde, and she had been savagely beaten before being shot in the head by her boyfriend. "It's sad," John Madewell said. "And everybody who worked for her obviously she was pretty strong-willedbut she had very loyal people whoworked for her. The one overwhelming fact of life is chance. 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. The three young men would later be released from prison, and the case would remain in a gray area among police and the public, with some believing the three men are guilty, and others believing that they are innocent. Bergeron looked at the familiar signature again and decided it didnt look quite right. Explore. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? 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. One year later, a robber arrested in Kingsville for a different offense confessed to stealing the diamond. Other advocates of the WM3's innocence point to one of the victim's stepfather, Terry Hobbs, as the real assailant. National Park Service special agents are working with the other agencies "to find out more about the days leading up to White's death," the statement said, and seeking tips from the public to determine the circumstances related to her homicide. The overall violent crime rate in Arkansas as of 2019 was 867.1 per 100,000 residents, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On May 24, shortly before 12:30 p.m., a shooting was reported at 234 Adcock Road. One of the individuals who will be included in Arkansas serial killer list is James Waybern Hall, also known as Big Jim, who was convicted of killing 4 people in 1944 and 1945. Police were able to track down the man responsible, James Roy McAlphin, and he's now in prison. Police interrogated more than 3000 persons, from highway travelers to narcotics addicts, all to no avail. 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. ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) There are at least four unsolved missing person cases in North Central Arkansas since 1991, and all are women. One caller even told the Jefferson County sheriff's department that he saw a mushroom cloud-like explosion in the vicinity of the fire. Sheriff's deputies responded and located a deceased male, Jacob Stone, 22, at the scene. His hope is that his work will lead to justice for families who have suffered without answers for too long. 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. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime communitytogether we can do better. Valuable jewelry had been ignored. Possible motives for the crime were numerous. Then in January 1971, Bergeron received a Christmas card from Tex which had been mailed from Homer, Louisiana (population 4483), located near the Arkansas border. After her children were dead, Riggs unsuccessfully attempted suicide. Her mother is a full blood Cherokee, Susie Ward. Texarkana Siblings Charged in Burned Bodies Case. There's just something that comes together at some point, and I truly believe that it will here, too. Some of the biggest unsolved murders in Arkansas include the 1994 murder of. The couple's son's are now in the custody of relatives. Investigators have exhausted nearly every lead in the case, yet Morgan's current whereabouts and condition remain unknown. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Fowler Center Presents Singer/Songwriter Kaia Kater in Concert, Multiple arrested in Poinsett County explosive investigation, WBUs Anderson Senior Recital Set for March 7, Bicyclists Invited to Enjoy Arkansas Roots Ride Between A-State Heritage Sites, Arkansas man wins $5.75 million lottery prize, I just have a feeling that a lot of murderers, at some pointthese [killers] told somebody, Jared said. According to this same report, in 2019, 242 people were murdered in Arkansas. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. Moreover, witnesses who originally testified against the trio later said they were pressured by law enforcement officials to do so. Tommy Sevier, Jr., age 25, and Samantha Sevier, age 19, both of Texarkana, Arkansas are each charged with two counts of capital murder. MCSO Most Wanted - Arkansas The paper reported that authorities hadn't yet found the precise cause of the fire, but were convinced it wasn't connected to the "meteors." A third possibility caught the attention of the FBI, which entered the case to investigate a possible obstruction of justice. A few examples of Arkansas cold cases which have been solved by DNA in recent years include the 2000 murder of Tawana Blunt and the 1985 murder of Mildred Lee Matheny, as well as many others. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? Each time the thief knew exactly what he was doing. The lawmen at the scene, he said,did not go down the embankment to view his daughter's body. All three were murdered. Here are 10 more mysteries to explore. When police found a 21-year-old female brutally murdered in her hotel room, the mystery was just beginning. Police believe she was abducted before she was tossed in the ditch. Unsolved Murder in Sevier County. According to investigators, the man killed his wife in front of his children. Rector survived the surgery and was put on trial, his defense arguing that Rector was intellectually impaired and not competent to stand trial. Detectives meet regularly with prosecutors to go over the case, McCarter said, and DNA evidence was recently resubmitted to the state crime labfor testing. ", Mathis' aunt, Misty Ely, told the newspaper Mathis had gone to a friend's house on Christmas Eve but left around 11 p.m. and it was unknown what happened to him between then and Christmas morning. Almost four years later, theyre still looking for the driver. The King reaped so much publicity he became an inspiration for lesser thieves, who attempted to emulate him without success. 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. New book investigates unsolved murders across Northeast Arkansas 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 West Memphis Three: Arkansas's most controversial murder case involves three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three eight-year old boys (Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers) in West Memphis, Arkansas. (The independent Roberts kept no servants.) More specifically, in Little Rock, Arkansas most populated city, in 2018 the homicide rate was 20.07 per 100,000 residents. On November 11, 2009, Vance was convicted of capital murder, residential burglary, rape, and theft of property. The two had a tumultuous relationship characterized by bouts of estrangement and reconciliation. He learned the concerning details of the crash from employees of Hercutt's vacation rental property business, and the family requested an autopsy just in time. Finally, some others include east Arkansas unsolved murders, which include the 1986 murder of Sandra Alberda, the 1989 murder of Jimmie Wade Martin, the 1994 murder of Marty Bradley, the 1987 murder of Stella Patterson, and the 1970 murder of John Leonard, among many others in the remainder of the state. According to their YTD report, which shows crimes from January to the end of May 2021, there have been roughly 27 murders in Little Rock alone. Category:Arkansas | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom Other evidence revealed that the victim briefly lived in Shreveport, La. Cicada 3301 is the name of a group that has annually for the past three years at least created what's essentially an online scavenger hunt for the technologically savvy. Parks was leaving El Chico when he was ambushed by two men in a white Chevrolet Caprice at the intersection of Chenal and Highway 10, where witnesses say the men shot Parks to death before speeding away. Parks' son, Gary, also tried to link Clinton to the murders. Authorities also discovered that the names in the Bible belonged to a family the victim stayed with while living in Dallas. Some examples of the most gruesome murders which you can find on their list of unsolved murders include the 1998 abduction and murder of Brittany Locklear, the 2000 murder of Keke Jefferson-Moore, the 2001 murder of Michelle Howard, the 1992 murder of Tammy Zywicki, the 1994 murder of Melissa Witt, the 2017 murder of Brandi Seals, and the 1985 48-year-old Timothy Sharp is in the Sevier County Jail charged in the shooting death of his wife Crystal Sharp. The McFarlin family gave the 49.2 carat stone to the Witte two years later, where it was prominently displayed as the McFarlin diamond. Despite a handful of photos scattered across the internet, along with unsolicited help from members of the web, the victim's identity is still shrouded in mystery. When police found a 21-year-old female brutally murdered in her hotel room, the mystery was just beginning. If you have any information that could help crack it, please call the Sevier County Sheriff's Office. The property had been sold to a management company created and owned by Horton. Noted now for being an obsolete method of execution, death by electrocution is still a legal secondary execution practice in Arkansas. Once inside, deputies found Crystal Sharp in the house with gunshot wounds to the head and face. That may have been why somein the community grew to suspect the father had a hand in his daughter's killing. The Sevier County officials told appellant that they had a subpoena issued by the Sevier County Prosecuting Attorney and that they wanted to question him further in . Robert L. Tex Roberts wasperhaps still isan aging, eccentric, cigar-smoking millionaire. They were released with ten-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years and 78 days in prison. After serving in World War I, he returned home to Marion and began working at a utility plant. AR man allegedly kills wife in front of sons, La. The Sevier County medical examiner did not respond to a request that he release the autopsy report. The two youths were among the youngest people ever charged with murder in American history. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were around 9,951 murders in Arkansas alone. Further complicating the case was the mysterious "Mr.

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