In Buddhism, the willow branch represents compassion. 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. Or their Packard might not have developed a noise in the motor just before they reached the Texas border citybut it did. 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. Clues have been hidden in digital images, spread physically across the globe, and often reference the work of famous philosophers and complex mathematical theorems. He had been beaten to death early on the morn- of June 4, only a few short hours after his stepmother Sissy had lost her first bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Dolph Briscoe. Andy Taylor and Barney Fife meet Spock and Captain Kirk? 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. Too late, Farenthold decided that hed been conned and went to the police. Maybe somebody knows something who just can't talk about it right now, but down the road they may. "I know you have paid someone to kill Shannon," Penny Stephens told Ted Hercutt, his mouth agape. Karen Johnson Swift, a mother of four, went missing. On the night of the fire, local authorities were besieged by reports of the fireballs in the sky. By the late 1940s, he had amassed a small fortune. They said it had political overtones, pointing to the untimely suicide of Vincent Foster a childhood friend of Clinton's and one of his closest allies only months earlier as evidence of a connection. Anyone with information can call the sheriff's office at (501) 622-3660 or the criminal investigation division at (501) 622-3690. 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. 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. But Shannon's life was stopped short on a late summer night on August 3rd, 2009. Rumors swirled. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? The memo also says the backups were supposed to be delivered to a Huckabee aide. I just have a feeling that a lot of murderers, at some pointthese [killers] told somebody, Jared said. This serial killer who made a wrong turn into the Natural State found his way back to Illinois and was sentenced consecutively to a total of 500 years in prison in Illinois in 1971. 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. Dr. Doug [], JONESBORO, Ark. Another man at the scene was initially taken into custody on an unrelated charge and questioned about the incident, but was later released. 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. And a decade later, the case remains unsolved. Her friends said that there was a "creepy" man talking to Morgan around the last time she was seen. Jared was present for three of the four executions including the first double execution in 20 years in the United States. Hazel, 46, and Nancy, 23, left their car on the afternoon of March 25, 1938, and requested that it be ready at 6 a.m. the next day. Vance was reportedly a fan of Pressly, and was a frequent viewer of her morning news show. Cicada 3301 appears to be interested in candidates that have in-depth knowledge of cryptography and a passion for privacy, both online and off. Or Farenthold, who was known to gamble for high stakes, might have been killed because he failed to cover his tosses. She was dead before she hit the water. His large, 300-pound frame had been set on fire and burned beyond recognition. She had also been arrested in Texas under the aliases "Cheryl Wick," "Kelly Carr/Karr," "Sharon Wiley," and "Mercedes.". 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. Travis Dorman covers crime, breaking news and law enforcement.. According to this same report, in 2019, 242 people were murdered in Arkansas. Now, however, he is singing a different tune. On . The Hercutt family said a $45,000. Rector then shot himself in the head in a suicide attempt. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? .In his confession, the thief said he sold it whole to someone from Phoenix for $25,000, of which he received only $6000. Administrative Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm However, due to an ever-expanding Pulaski County, the once rural highway is slowly being overrun by suburbia. If a suspect whispered about his or her guilt during an incident, it could be the missing link to the puzzle. AR man allegedly kills wife in front of sons, 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. She and her husband were getting divorced and she vanished a few weeks after filing. The report was []. 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. And she never would havehad a window down. 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 . Remnants of a sunken ship? There's just something that comes together at some point, and I truly believe that it will here, too. 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. On June 4, 1968, while the museum was open to the public, a thief smashed the display case and snatched the jewel. [ Feb 15, 2023 ] Two severe crashes in Greene County Crime [ Feb 15 , 2023 . She would'veworn her seat belt. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. 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. They were released with ten-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years and 78 days in prison. Roten checked in with other districts all across the state, but the only two incidents appeared to come from Little Rock. Riggs requested the death penalty and her wish was fulfilled on April 30, 2000. 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. He took only womens jewelryand only the best pieces at that, never costume jewelry and never ordinary items like pearls. Usually, its a quiet whisper because you dont want anyone to know you committed this horrible heinous crime.. Her mother is a full blood Cherokee, Susie Ward. And we still have some of those here today.". All three were murdered. Noted now for being an obsolete method of execution, death by electrocution is still a legal secondary execution practice in Arkansas. Her possible birthday is 22Jun1862--d. 1936 around Grenola, KS. Once confident of solving the case, they have lost their optimism with the years. The Murder Accountability Project Cold Case Homicide Statistics Breakdown of Homicide Clearance Rates Nearly 340,000 cases of homicide and non-negligent manslaughter went unsolved from 1965 to 2021, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report data studied by The Murder Accountability Project. Get more stories delivered right to your email. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office confirmed Thursday there was nothing new in the case to report and the investigation is ongoing. In one of Echols' many interviews while in prison, he issued a sobering notion to filmmakers of the West of Memphis documentary: "The person who killed those three kids is still out there walking on the street.". The 38-year law enforcement veteran believes investigators have nailed down the motive but said, "If I told you what it was, it'd be obvious who I was talking about.". "Yes the son called and told us that their dad had shot their mama," said Stringfellow. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies continue to work on the cases, which date from the last week of 2020 through . A litany of theories emerged as motives for the murder. He chronicles those experiences and cases, too. But subtle clues soon tipped off her loved ones that there was more to the story. 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. These cases are still remembered by many Arkansanswhopray for justice. 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. There were, however, plenty of clues. 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 Both women had been shotbut by different guns. Some of the biggest unsolved murders in Arkansas include the 1994 murder of Melissa Missy Witt, the 1995 murder of Marlo Taylor, and the 1987 double murder of Don Henry and Kevin Ives, among countless others which receive much less media attention. Her body was found in a nearby ditch. The victim of the gangland-style slaying was Randy Farenthold, a 32- year-old Corpus Christi playboy euphemistically described as a sportsman in press accounts. It began on the night of August 15, 1970, when Roberts, whose real name wasnt Robertshe was born Leroy Seviersummoned his friend and bodyguard Al Bergeron concerning a matter of utmost importance. After finishing some personal business, Bergeron went to the mansion. 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 . His research unearthed a memo that refers to potential backups of the destroyed drives. $2000.00 Reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or person (s) responsible for the death of Billy Jean Phillips, she was murdered in her Madison County home on September 2, 1994. From the name on the ID, authorities found that the deceased had stolen the identity of a Cheryl Ann Wick in Minnesota. ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) There are at least four unsolved missing person cases in North Central Arkansas since 1991, and all are women. Investigators have exhausted nearly every lead in the case, yet Morgan's current whereabouts and condition remain unknown. She was last seen at 10:45 p.m. by her friends, emptying sand out of her shoes at her mother's car. Then Horton withdrew the fundsto send to Tex, the attorney told Bergeron, pursuant to a prearranged plan. He was convicted of theft by false pretext and sentenced to a ten-year prison term, and was later convicted on four counts of forgery in Dallas. In early January 2014, Cicada 3301 released another message in its three year journey. Leave them blank to get signed up. When her mother, Colleen Nick, came to get Morgan to go home, she found no trace of her daughter. All rights reserved. The victim was a young blonde, and she had been savagely beaten before being shot in the head by her boyfriend. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime communitytogether we can do better. 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. Public Domain/Wikimedia. "I'll be seeing and hearing gunshots over there," said Arbor. Detectives meet regularly with prosecutors to go over the case, McCarter said, and DNA evidence was recently resubmitted to the state crime labfor testing. Well, two of the clues were posted in Fayetteville and Little Rock. The objective of this department is to serve the Public within our jurisdiction, to enforce laws, investigate crimes and do our best to solve these crimes and to protect the citizens of Sevier County as LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. (It was still working.) 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. His hope is that his work will lead to justice for families who have suffered without answers for too long. 9.Arkansas' role in a global internet enigma. Jared takes a deep personal interest in these cases and others he covers, often becoming close with the family of the victims. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. On Aug. 31, 1997, Garland County deputies found the bodies of 17-year-old Teela Hudson . Four days after they finally left El Paso, a county sheriff found them, dead and mutilated, in the desolate wasteland six miles east of Van Horn and half a mile south of U.S. 80. Person or Persons Responsible for the Death of Billy Jean Phillips. A third possibility caught the attention of the FBI, which entered the case to investigate a possible obstruction of justice. 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. Hes willing to tell where it is, toobut not unless the feds or the state grant him favors. But he had a good reputation for paying his gambling debts. It's unknown whether or not they were Kevin and Don. Now the bodyguard began to investigate in earnest. These gruesome acts took place in the Natural State, and for the most part justice was served. However, this neat package overlooks one minor detail: a flawless emerald-cut canary diamond that was worth $365,000 when it disappeared from its case in the museum eight years ago. On June 9, 1995, Morgan Nick and her mother, Colleen Nick, went to a Little League baseball game in their town of Alma, Arkansas. Some of the biggest unsolved murders in Arkansas include the 1994 murder of. Rector was convicted on both counts and sentenced to death. We've shared with you 10 unexplained mysteries of Arkansas, but don't think it stops there. Other evidence revealed that the victim briefly lived in Shreveport, La. Bring on the Shiplap? She vanished in Halloween 2011 and then her body was found in a cemetery not far from her house underneath some bushes. 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. Jared said his book also has chapters that include other cases, too. Next Horton tried to cash Roberts ample holdings of stocks and bonds. Sep 16, 2019 NEA . 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. She was a beautiful lady. Over the years, around 7,797 of those murders were solved, leaving over 2,100 unsolved murders in Arkansas alone. 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. It is literally the most comprehensive review of everything which has happened in that case that has been done.. 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. And yet another account says drivers pick up a young girl asking for a ride home. 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. 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. Unsolved Murder Files; Unsolved Mystery Files; Legend Files; Suggested Cases; The Investigators; Contributing . The puzzle is still currently ongoing and its progress can be followed here. If you enjoy coverage like this, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Further complicating the case was the mysterious "Mr. When he finally surfaced, the Dallas DAs office mysteriously lost interest in the case and agreed to a probated sentence. In his book, Jared interviewed investigators and detectives who have worked on the case over many years. 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. On November 11, 2009, Vance was convicted of capital murder, residential burglary, rape, and theft of property. 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. McCarter, the chief detective, would not releasethe initial report a decade after the crash. 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. When police found a 21-year-old female brutally murdered in her hotel room, the mystery was just beginning. 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. 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. Chitwood decided a court of inquiry was necessary, and Judge Dee Brown Walker agreed. This case immediately caught national attention when three teenagers, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly Jr., and Jason Baldwin, were arrested and charged with the murders of the three young boys, with the killings being portrayed as being a part of a Satanic ritual. 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 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. 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. Some would argue, however, that not all of these cases were properly handled or the criminals involved truly got what they truly deserved. Tusing vanished on June 14, 2000. Police were able to track down the man responsible, James Roy McAlphin, and he's now in prison. Following a successful decision in 2010 by the Arkansas Supreme Court regarding newly produced DNA evidence, the West Memphis Three negotiated a plea bargain with prosecutors. 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. He would not elaborate onShannon Hercutt's cause of death, nor would he say what deputiesfound when they went to her home. Her husband and her family are basically from Pocahontas, Jared said. Anyone with information about White or her death, "no matter how insignificant it may seem," is asked to contact the National Park Service. 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. woman accused of using aunts debit card for 136 DoorDash orders held on preset $18 million bond. The property had been sold to a management company created and owned by Horton. 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. He claimed that his father had collected a file on Clinton's salacious activities and that he was subsequently executed because of its contents. On June 9, 1995, Morgan Nick and her mother, Colleen Nick, went to a Little League baseball game in their town of Alma, Arkansas. Until then, natives of the Natural State will remain haunted by these unsolved mysteries. Name: Date: Victims: Location : B: Charles Jason BALDWIN: May 5, 1993: 3 ? (The independent Roberts kept no servants.) Billie Jean Phillips She was murdered in her Madison County home on September 2, 1994. All police have is a single description, plus the certain clue that the King must have had close contacts in Dallas society. 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 40-year-old was a hardworking business owner, a loving sister and an incredible aunt to Penny's daughter. Nevertheless, the handwriting expert (using copies) testified that Roberts signatures were, in his opinion, not genuine. The two had a tumultuous relationship characterized by bouts of estrangement and reconciliation. 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. Sadly, after more than 20 years, it appears that the deaths of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Chris Byers will forever remain unsolved. The only evidence left behind were 10 9-mm bullet casings scattered on the pavement. 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". And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. 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. The Springtime Jonquil Festival In Arkansas Thats Unlike Any Other, Spend A Magical Evening Savoring This Wine And Fondue Experience In Arkansas, Arkansas Oldest Drive-In Theater Is Hiding In A Small Town And Youll Want To Visit, Dine At The Historic Spot In Arkansas Where The Legendary Gangster Al Capone Drank Whiskey, These 11 Arkansas Murder Cases Made Headlines, The Story Of The Serial Killer Who Terrorized This Small Arkansas Town Is Truly Frightening, 9 True Arkansas Stories That Are Way Creepier Than The Clown Takeover, History Has Forgotten This Bizarre Arkansas Event From 50 Years Ago. "And everybody who worked for her obviously she was pretty strong-willedbut she had very loyal people whoworked for her. Mary Isabel Piner/Ball/Johnson lived in Madison Co. AR came from NC and TN to AR. Address: 137 W. Robinson Road De Queen, AR 71832. In January 2007, outgoing Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made a peculiar request of his staff: destroy the office computers. "She was a well-kept lady.". The story did little to dispel the rumors, though. The Sevier County medical examiner did not respond to a request that he release the autopsy report. Few reporters have covered as many murder cases with the passion of long-time journalist and author, George Jared. "As long as they don't give up, I think there's hope.". Almost four years later, theyre still looking for the driver. Police interrogated more than 3000 persons, from highway travelers to narcotics addicts, all to no avail. He also consulted a handwriting expert and Paul Chitwood, an attorney who had previously done legal work for Roberts. JONESBORO, Ark. It was not unusual for the 85-year-old Roberts to leave the house suddenly, but it was virtually unprecedented for 89-year-old, infirm Jessie Forsyth to accompany him. At first, her mother was uncertain, but eventually let her go. Hercuttwouldn't have been out driving that late. Ted Hercutt, his then-wife and his other daughter, Penny Stephens,were vacationing some 380 miles awayin Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when authorities respondingto an alert from Shannon Hercutt'sOnStar safety system found her dead inside her SUV. Texarkana Siblings Charged in Burned Bodies Case. SEVIER COUNTY, AR (KSLA) - For the second time this week, authorities say an Ark-La-Tex man has murdered his wife in their home. She lived alone on East Milford Haven Drive outside Sevierville,and she never married or had children. Robert L. Tex Roberts wasperhaps still isan aging, eccentric, cigar-smoking millionaire. That autopsy found Hercutt suffered headinjuries she couldn't possibly have sustained in the crash. Driftwood? Jimmy Dunn, the districtattorney general, declined to comment. 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. Tommy Sevier, Jr., age 25, and Samantha Sevier, age 19, both of Texarkana, Arkansas are each charged with two counts of capital murder. Little is known about the puzzle's creator(s). Either way, the murders that took place in Arkansas left a mark on the state and made headlines in the news. The Democrat-Gazette ran a follow-up story about a week later. But police believe that other parties unknown could have had a motive, toosomeone who arranged the contact, perhaps, or helped finance Farentholds part of the deal and didnt want his role exposed in court. In old interviews, Ted Hercutt openly acknowledged his status as a suspect but consistently denied any involvement. Theres a possibility that a law officer may have been involved in her murder.. 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. Cherry was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, but upon appeal of his conviction, his sentenced was reduced to 30 years. 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. Here's what is known about them SABRINA LYNN UNDERWOOD:. Five famous cases the police may never mark closed.. However, this neat package overlooks one minor. Police had noted in earlier posts Frazier had not been in contact with his family since Feb. 3 and had missed scheduled medical appointments and not reported to work. He said he once received a phone call with no caller ID; someone breathed the word "murderer," then hung up. Timothy Sharp is in the Sevier County Jail on a first degree murder charge.