Blood samples taken from the bathroom were later lost by WMPD investigators before the WM3 went to trial. 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. The book also delves into Arkansas death row, which made it back into the news in 2017. McCarter, the chief detective, would not releasethe initial report a decade after the crash. The third case began in October, 2011. Here are 10 more mysteries to explore. Also, the Federal Bureau of Investigation releases a Uniform Crime Report every year which shows, in detail, the crimes, crime rates, and locations of crimes in every state, county, and city. 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. "I can take it." The two youths were among the youngest people ever charged with murder in American history. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were around 9,951 murders in Arkansas alone. Born in 1895, Banks lived through Arkansas' ugliest years of racial bloodshe. Andy Taylor and Barney Fife meet Spock and Captain Kirk? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. After serving 18 years in prison, Echols, along with the two other suspects, Jessie Miskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin subsequently dubbed the West Memphis Three were released per the controversial Alford Plea in 2011. In 1987, Don Henry and his friend Kevin Ives were found dead in Bryant, Arkansas on the railroad tracks near their homes. Garland County Prosecutor Michelle Lawrence confirmed Thursday the case was still under review by her office. 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. Cherry's estimated release date is January 9, 2020. 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." Jared said his book also has chapters that include other cases, too. After the body was initially found, it was sent to the state crime lab where positive identification was later made on May 11. Now she was appearing on national television to accuse her father whom she described as a "pathological liar" who made her "fear for her life" of having her sister killed. The latest murder happened in DeQueen, Arkansas. Uncovered: Unsolved Arkansas Murders "I know you have paid someone to kill Shannon," Penny Stephens told Ted Hercutt, his mouth agape. 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. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. Investigators said the case remains under investigation. Jjesus Anaya, a Hot Springs Police Department public information officer, told the newspaper on Nov. 30, while appealing to the public for help in the almost year-old case. Parks' son, Gary, also tried to link Clinton to the murders. This date marked the first woman executed in Arkansas since 1845. At first, her mother was uncertain, but eventually let her go. "Yes the kids were in there and when the kids saw it they ran to a neighbor's house where they called 911," said Sheriff Stringfellow. 9 years later, Shannon Hercutt homicide in Sevier County remains unsolved He chronicles those experiences and cases, too. North Arkansas Murder Remains Unsolved, Billboard Now Offers $25K One of the survivors, Henry Greenbaum, describes watching five of his siblings die at the hands of the Nazis. Some of those chapters chronicle Holocaust survivors that Jared interviewed throughout the years. In recent years, DNA technology has led to hundreds, if not thousands, of decades-old cold cases being solved, and Arkansas is not the exception. 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. The primary focus is on victims Rebekah Gould, Karen Johnson Swift, and Amanda Tusing. If a suspect whispered about his or her guilt during an incident, it could be the missing link to the puzzle. 6720, he said. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. On May 24, shortly before 12:30 p.m., a shooting was reported at 234 Adcock Road. She left behind two college-age sons and two grade-school age daughters.. Dawn Shannon Hercutt's bizarre killing remains unsolved a decade later He found the usually locked front door ajar but no one home. There's just something that comes together at some point, and I truly believe that it will here, too. Convicted of murder after a two-day trial in May 1945, Hall was sentenced to death. 48-year-old Timothy Sharp is in the Sevier County Jail charged in the shooting death of his wife Crystal Sharp. 1. All police have is a single description, plus the certain clue that the King must have had close contacts in Dallas society. But he would like to. These gruesome acts took place in the Natural State, and for the most part justice was served. IZARD COUNTY, Ark. And she never would havehad a window down. He claimed to have sauntered into the Witte carrying a lawn chair and a concealed hammer. 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. Arkansas was no different. She noted it was a mystery what he was doing in that area of the county and she believes he was "either taken out there and murdered or dumped.". On June 6, 1972, it was neither. 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. Its available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Your email address will not be published. As expected, until these murders are solved, Little Rock murders discussion will continue on social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, and Websleuths, where individuals speculate and share information regarding Little Rock murders pictures, Little Rock murders crime scene photos, and Little Rock, Arkansas, murders autopsy photos, which are most often not released even after a case is solved. His large, 300-pound frame had been set on fire and burned beyond recognition. As of this writing, however, the latest mention of this story dates back to late 2011. 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. Her husband and her family are basically from Pocahontas, Jared said. Bidding farewell to their new acquaintance who said he was on his way to, of all places, Nashville the two officers left. The siblings are being held without bond.Captain Toby Giles of the Miller County Sheriff's Department says interviews and good police work led them to the suspects. A vehicle with a similar insignia had been used by narcotics smugglers, leading police to speculate that the Fromes may have been mistaken for dope runners who double-crossed their ringleaders. There are rumors of an unidentified figure in military fatigues loitering in the area before the train ran over Kevin and Don. The Kings last performance came more than a decade ago, in February 1966, and Fannin now says resignedly of the cases, Theyll never be solved.. Fannin has been looking for him, unsuccessfully, for almost twenty years. Kizer said the case is still active "on our end," but the case file has been turned over to the prosecutor's office for review. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. 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. The two had a tumultuous relationship characterized by bouts of estrangement and reconciliation. He watches the waves prod it landward and his imagination plays over the shape. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies continue to work on the cases, which date from the last week of 2020 through the end of 2021. Simmons was charged with 16 counts of murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death. According to this same report, in 2019, 242 people were murdered in Arkansas. But only nine months after Clinton won the White House, Parks was gunned down in West Little Rock. 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. Susie Ward/Piner and Mary Isabell Piner/Ball/Johnson are the focus of my search. (The independent Roberts kept no servants.) A successful businesswoman,Shannon Hercutt founded her company,Auntie Belham's Realty and Nightly Rentals, as the demand for vacation rental properties in the Great Smoky Mountains skyrocketed in the 1990s. Penny Stephens said she went to her sister's house after the killing and sawa baseball bat, blood on the outside refrigerator and two busted bottles of alcohol onthe floor. The search centered for a while on a young gigolo, but the police could prove nothing. 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. Authorities say the couple's 13 and 15 year old sons witnessed the shooting of their mother. Bergeron looked at the familiar signature again and decided it didnt look quite right. In old interviews, Ted Hercutt openly acknowledged his status as a suspect but consistently denied any involvement. With the first season of the Hell and Gone podcast bringing new attention and life to the case of Rebekah Goulds murder, Jared plans a very comprehensive break-down of all the new findings in the needless murder. 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. Roten checked in with other districts all across the state, but the only two incidents appeared to come from Little Rock. "You may remain anonymous. It may be that last trait that can most be closely identified with the author. Murder Mystery: Most Likely To Be Murdered Part 2. Email Map. Approaching with their guns drawn, a bearded man emerged from the forest and told them that he and his crew were travelling the country in an "airship". 2. Murder Mystery: Most Likely To Be Murdered Part 2 - AY Mag If you should happen to spot a short, muscular man with a long stride walking down the street with a screwdriver in his hand, wearing cheap rubber rain shoes and surgical gloves and possibly even a handsome piece of jewelry or two, Walter Fannin would like to hear from you. Golden was released on May 25, 2007, also his 21st birthday, after spending nine years in prison. Despite this, the many different law enforcement agencies in Arkansas will never stop trying to solve all of Arkansas true crimes, and seeking justice for the victims. Crime Tips HOTline (870) 642-2125 or Submit Via Email. That autopsy found Hercutt suffered headinjuries she couldn't possibly have sustained in the crash. None of his relatives would claim the body, and he was buried in a pauper's grave. The Little Rock Police Department dismissed such claims as "unsubstantiated". On the evening of the murders a "disoriented" African American man, covered in blood and mud, entered a Bojangles restaurant not far from where the bodies were found. When investigators arrived at the scene, they say Timothy Sharp began approaching from behind the house and he did not have a weapon. She was dead before she hit the water. Jimmy Dunn, the districtattorney general, declined to comment. But he had a good reputation for paying his gambling debts. Looking at this year to date, the answer to how many murders in Little Rock, Arkansas, 2021 or how many homicides in Little Rock, Arkansas, 2021 can be found on the citys government website. The 2013 murder of Patricia Collins, the 2009 murder of Terry Sullivan, the 2006 murder of Hosea "Junior" Prince, the 1977 murder of Stanley Smith, and the 1996 murder of Lela Mae Adcock can also be found listed under a separate category of Tennessee murders, unsolved central Tennessee murders. So what's all this got to do with Arkansas? .In his confession, the thief said he sold it whole to someone from Phoenix for $25,000, of which he received only $6000. 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 property had been sold to a management company created and owned by Horton. 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. Authorities in Arkansas are seeking information in a double homicide that has remained unsolved for 21 years. Over the years, around 7,797 of those murders were solved, leaving over 2,100 unsolved murders in Arkansas alone. Madewell recalled drivingbackto Sevier County from Ohio the day after Hercutt's death on Aug. 3, 2009. "Boys, I'm not afraid," he was reported as saying when guards strapped him in and fastened the electrodes. Lavinia and her husband were sentenced to death in October 1845. John Burnett was apprehended and hanged a month later in Fayeteville as well. All of the links in this post refer back to the author's references. According to Arkansas investigators, she told her friends she was originally from Florida. Farenthold had filed a complaint against four men subsequently indicted for conspiracy to defraud him of $100,000. 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. It's unknown whether or not they were Kevin and Don. She had also been arrested in Texas under the aliases "Cheryl Wick," "Kelly Carr/Karr," "Sharon Wiley," and "Mercedes.". Additional Arkansas unsolved murders include unsolved murders Little Rock, Arkansas, including the 1989 murder of Anita Shell, the 2015 murder of Ebby Steppach, and the 1993 murder of Jerry Parks, among many others. Public Domain/Wikimedia. In most of the cases, authorities have made appeals to the public for help. Miller county sheriff's deputies have charged a brother and sister with the murders of two Texarkana men who's bodies were found inside a charred car. 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. ", Texarkana Siblings Charged in Burned Bodies Case, La. The McFarlin family gave the 49.2 carat stone to the Witte two years later, where it was prominently displayed as the McFarlin diamond. (KTHV) - We've shared with you 10 unexplained mysteries of Arkansas, but don't think it stops there. Hailing from Forrest City, Arkansas, Larry Porter Chism is wanted by the United States Marshals for charges related to his escape from the Lonoke County Jail in the December of 1978. Phone: (870) 642-2125 (24 Hours) Emergency: Dial 911. Hobbs had a history of child abuse and was reportedly the last person seen with three boys. Those with information can call or text the ISB Tip Line at (888) 653-0009; leave tips online by visiting http://www.nps.gov/ISB and clicking "Submit a Tip;" or by email at nps_isb@nps.gov. Dig deeper They were released with ten-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years and 78 days in prison. Or their Packard might not have developed a noise in the motor just before they reached the Texas border citybut it did. 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. Riggs' defense said she was suffering from depression and apparently did not want to have her children split up after her envisioned suicide. SEVIERVILLE At first glance, it looked like Dawn Shannon Hercutt went for a late-night drive, veered off the roadand plummeted 125 feet to her death. The local police quickly rushed to the conclusion, claiming the boys had died from a drug overdose on the tracks. Their hangings were reportedly well attended. Uncovered: Unsolved Murders By State They may have information. The train engineer noticed them but was unable to stop in time to prevent running over them; he later rationalized that due to the noise of the oncoming train, the boys had to have been dead and positioned on the tracks before he arrived. Investigators never found any physical evidence linking the WM3 to the crime scene. "And everybody who worked for her obviously she was pretty strong-willedbut she had very loyal people whoworked for her. 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. So when authorities found her body inside her crashed SUV at the bottom of a steep slope off Walker Trail 10 years ago on Saturday they quickly ruled her deathan accident. 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. 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. She and her husband were getting divorced and she vanished a few weeks after filing. The area where White was found is part of Hot Springs National Park and on federal land, resulting in both the National Park Service and FBI taking the lead on the investigation. 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.