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. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? (The independent Roberts kept no servants.) The organization's primary goals are to comfort parents of missing children, while also helping law enforcement find missing youngsters. 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. "We've always kept this case open. "And everybody who worked for her obviously she was pretty strong-willedbut she had very loyal people whoworked for her. He chronicles those experiences and cases, too. 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. Her case received assistance from the FBI, was the subject of several television specials, and inspired her mother to establish the Morgan Nick Foundation. 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. It is a different world now. Usually, its a quiet whisper because you dont want anyone to know you committed this horrible heinous crime.. The two had a tumultuous relationship characterized by bouts of estrangement and reconciliation. The Democrat-Gazette ran a follow-up story about a week later. Hobbs had a history of child abuse and was reportedly the last person seen with three boys. Technically the 1968 robbery of the Witte Museum in San Antonio is not unsolved. Hercuttwouldn't have been out driving that late. He discovered that another elderly woman who had sold real estate to Horton had disappeared in 1969, in an apparently unrelated case. 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. While most of the stories share similar motifs, the legend seems to have emanated from a report published in 1980. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Karen Johnson Swift, a mother of four, went missing. She lived alone on East Milford Haven Drive outside Sevierville,and she never married or had children. Police said they've interviewed hundreds of people, but no useful leads have turned up. Police believe she was abducted before she was tossed in the ditch. Her possible birthday is 22Jun1862--d. 1936 around Grenola, KS. Hercutt's family fell apart as accusations flew. In the nearly 20 years since her disappearance, Morgan's story has gained national attention. Arkansas was no different. 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. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. For Fannin is chief of detectives for the Dallas police force and the short, stocky man is the King of Diamonds, the most daringand most successfuljewel thief ever to operate in Dallas. 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. 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. The reason behind the frenzied housecleaning has never been fully explained. As for the police, they too have changed. Some of the cases only hope of being solved lie in the hands and on the conscious of potential witnesses. Farenthold had filed a complaint against four men subsequently indicted for conspiracy to defraud him of $100,000. According to Arkansas investigators, she told her friends she was originally from Florida. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @travdorman. Later that night, a large fire sprung up in parts of Pulaski, Lonoke, and Jefferson Counties. 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 many others. On June 6, 1972, it was neither. If you have an interest in learning more about the statistics and data surrounding crimes in Arkansas, you can easily find multiple law enforcement agencies which release annual reports on their websites that show, in detail, the crimes in that area. Giles says they're still working to pinpoint a motive in the case. Riggs' defense said she was suffering from depression and apparently did not want to have her children split up after her envisioned suicide. While the authorities' search for the "highway apostle" yielded no tangible evidence, the story permeated Little Rock by word of mouth. Indeed, the evidence has pointed to someone outside the family, someone who knew Shannon Hercutt, McCarter said. 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. Tommy Sevier, Jr., age 25, and Samantha Sevier, age 19, both of Texarkana, Arkansas are each charged with two counts of capital murder. Thank you to Brandon Howard with Highlands Today for the story. Four days after Mathis was found, on Dec. 29, around 1:30 p.m., the bodies of Shaquilla Watts, 21, and her son, Zay'vion Watts, 5, were found inside their residence at Pebble Creek Apartments, 201 Wynn St. "It was determined both had been shot to death," Cpl. A third possibility caught the attention of the FBI, which entered the case to investigate a possible obstruction of justice. When police found a 21-year-old female brutally murdered in her hotel room, the mystery was just beginning. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. Investigators said the case remains under investigation. Her husband and her family are basically from Pocahontas, Jared said. She had an Arkansas ID with the name "Cheryl Ann Wick," a Bible with various names scribbled inside, and a litany of items from a handful of restaurants in Virginia Beach. She was very passionate about her company," said Madewell, who now runs Auntie Belham's alongside his wife. You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know," the release said. If a suspect whispered about his or her guilt during an incident, it could be the missing link to the puzzle. 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. Johnson was released on his 21st birthday, August 11, 2005, having spent seven years in prison. Arkansas, USA : C : Hoyt Franklin CLINES March 25, 1981: 1: Arkansas, USA : Johnie Michael . At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch lightning bugs with her friends. Vance was reportedly a fan of Pressly, and was a frequent viewer of her morning news show. 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. Next Horton tried to cash Roberts ample holdings of stocks and bonds. Moreover, witnesses who originally testified against the trio later said they were pressured by law enforcement officials to do so. The King reaped so much publicity he became an inspiration for lesser thieves, who attempted to emulate him without success. Sumpter and McLemore's account isn't without precedent. 2023 www.knoxnews.com. The blaze scorched a path one mile long and 150-feet wide. She was last seen chasing fireflies with her friends on the outskirts of the ball fields. The suspect's race was an important factor in the case, as the hair of black male was discovered in one of the sheets used to wrap the victims. If you enjoy coverage like this, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Some say it involves a motorcycle headlight, the remnant of a rider killed by a carload of drunk drivers. Love Arkansas? And we still have some of those here today.". A quick search for Arkansas serial killers will result in a short list of serial killers in Arkansas, some of whom are lesser known, and others who are considered to be famous Arkansas serial killers. Sheriff Stringfellow adds, "Oh yes, we've had several restraining orders, but the couple would somehow makeup.". Standing in the surf off Mustang Island, he looks for variety wherever he can find it, noting minute shifts in the tide, the direction of the current, the timing of the waves. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki. Their hangings were reportedly well attended. 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. In old interviews, Ted Hercutt openly acknowledged his status as a suspect but consistently denied any involvement. 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. Parks' son, Gary, also tried to link Clinton to the murders. 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. The telling of the story varies wildly. 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. "You may remain anonymous. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. Special Report: Plans to exhume 1977 Arkansas murder victim's body are 'underway'. Rector was convicted on both counts and sentenced to death. One year later, a robber arrested in Kingsville for a different offense confessed to stealing the diamond. However, due to an ever-expanding Pulaski County, the once rural highway is slowly being overrun by suburbia. It worked. 48-year-old Timothy Sharp is in the Sevier County Jail charged in the shooting death of his wife Crystal Sharp. But he would like to. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. 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. On Aug. 31, 1997, Garland County deputies found the bodies of 17-year-old Teela Hudson . "I know you have paid someone to kill Shannon," Penny Stephens told Ted Hercutt, his mouth agape. Both women had been shotbut by different guns. 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. The local Packard garage might have had the necessary parts to repair the carbut it had to order them and wait five days instead. At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch lightning bugs with her friends. All of the links in this post refer back to the author's references. 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. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Sheriffs deputies thought they were on the right track a month after the murder when they found a car with hair and traces of blood similar to Farentholds in the trunk. 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. "And don't sit there and act like you're so innocent.". The victim was a young blonde, and she had been savagely beaten before being shot in the head by her boyfriend. Tusing vanished on June 14, 2000. Sheriff's Deputy Courtney Kizer, the public information officer, said Wednesday the case is still active and they "are still investigating all possible leads." Main Page; Discuss; All Pages; Community; Interactive Maps; Recent Blog Posts; Netflix series. That autopsy found Hercutt suffered headinjuries she couldn't possibly have sustained in the crash. Frazier had been reported missing out on Feb. 8. The attempt effectively resulted in a lobotomy. 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. 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. Morgan's friends told police that they saw her talking to a "creepy" man. No evidence exists of sexual assault in any of the cases, an unusual factor, Jared said. The primary focus is on victims Rebekah Gould, Karen Johnson Swift, and Amanda Tusing. He asked to be put in touch with Tex personally, but Horton insisted on protecting his clients strict request for secrecy. 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. Susie Ward/Piner and Mary Isabell Piner/Ball/Johnson are the focus of my search. Other friends had also received similar cards, Bergeron learnedall with the addresses typed. Investigators have exhausted nearly every lead in the case, yet Morgan's current whereabouts and condition remain unknown. The first homicide of 2021 was the discovery on March 27 of the remains of Paige Autumn White, 32, of Hot Springs, in a wooded area off Blacksnake Road near the Whittington Avenue end, which is being handled by the National Park Service's investigation division, assisted by the FBI, Hot Springs Police Department, Garland County sheriff's office and Arkansas State Police. Email Map. He lived withand perhaps still lives withan older female companion, Jessie Forsyth. Hes willing to tell where it is, toobut not unless the feds or the state grant him favors. 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. Bidding farewell to their new acquaintance who said he was on his way to, of all places, Nashville the two officers left. If youre interested in learning about both solved and unsolved Pulaski County murders, you can find information regarding many Pulaski County murders trial with a simple search, and often times you can find all of the crime scene information if the case is solved. And a decade later, the case remains unsolved. In 2001, the AMBER Alert itself an acronym tied the abduction of a young girl in Texas, was renamed in Arkansas to the Morgan Nick AMBER Alert. Other evidence revealed that the victim briefly lived in Shreveport, La. But only nine months after Clinton won the White House, Parks was gunned down in West Little Rock. So what's all this got to do with Arkansas? John Burnett was apprehended and hanged a month later in Fayeteville as well. Much of the publicly available information has come from family members and remains independently unconfirmed. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. Clinton associate murdered execution style. Sep 16, 2019 NEA . Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation releases a Uniform Crime Report every year which shows the crimes, crime rates, and locations of crimes in every state, county, and city, including a report for crime in Arkansas. 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. On June 9, 1995, Morgan Nick and her mother, Colleen Nick, went to a Little League baseball game in their town of Alma, 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. 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. 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. ", 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. Explore. Garland County Prosecutor Michelle Lawrence confirmed Thursday the case was still under review by her office. On June 4, 1968, while the museum was open to the public, a thief smashed the display case and snatched the jewel. 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. No conclusive proof of their cause of death has ever been established. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. In January 2007, outgoing Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made a peculiar request of his staff: destroy the office computers. 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 The property had been sold to a management company created and owned by Horton. But in 1897, two Arkansas lawmen allegedly had a face-to-face encounter with a UFO and its pilot. Travis Dorman covers crime, breaking news and law enforcement. A litany of theories emerged as motives for the murder. [], JONESBORO, Ark. And Nancy and her mother might be alive todaybut they arent. Authorities in Arkansas are seeking information in a double homicide that has remained unsolved for 21 years. The maharajahs had little trouble acquiring or keeping precious stones, ancient law automatically imposed the death penalty on any subject who possessed a jewel weighing more than one carat. 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. Authorities ask anyone with information in the case to call the Sevier County Sheriff's Office at 865-453-4668 or 865-428-1899. SEVIER COUNTY, AR (KSLA) - For the second time this week, authorities say an Ark-La-Tex man has murdered his wife in their home. Today (Friday, August 16) is the official release date for Jareds new book. As of this writing, however, the latest mention of this story dates back to late 2011. 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. 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. Some unsolved murders in northern Arkansas 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. The two youths were among the youngest people ever charged with murder in American history. One caller even told the Jefferson County sheriff's department that he saw a mushroom cloud-like explosion in the vicinity of the fire. Ely has been distributing a flyer about the reward which includes a tip line, (501) 777-9805, and an email for tips at [email protected]. On Christmas Day 2020, shortly after 8 a.m., the body of Ethan Mathis, 18, of Hot Springs, was found in the 1400 block of Bald Mountain Road after deputies responded to a 911 call about a possible deceased person. 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. 1. "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. James Hendricks and Kimberlin Mills (known as Jimmy and Kim respectively) are American murder victims who were discovered on June 17, 1978. The FBI maintains that Banks' case is one of many unsolved civil rights-era cases that it is still investigating. He owned several businesses, along with nearly 1,000 acres of land. On May 24, shortly before 12:30 p.m., a shooting was reported at 234 Adcock Road. The case was solved in 2019, however the prime suspect, Rory Allen Gregory, died in prison before the case could go to trial. 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. 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. After waiting several hours for Roberts to return, Bergeron called the police. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were 9,951 murders in Arkansas. More specifically, the crime rate in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2018 was 1,446.15 per 100,000 residents. All rights reserved. After the discovery of her nude body in a dry creek bed, the medical examiner ruled . He died in 196830 years after Hazel and Nancy Frome. 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. 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. On the night of the fire, local authorities were besieged by reports of the fireballs in the sky. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. todaysthv.com. [ Feb 15, 2023 ] Two severe crashes in Greene County Crime [ Feb 15 , 2023 . 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. Cicada 3301 appears to be interested in candidates that have in-depth knowledge of cryptography and a passion for privacy, both online and off. Cherry was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, but upon appeal of his conviction, his sentenced was reduced to 30 years. But subtle clues soon tipped off her loved ones that there was more to the story. "Even though an arrest has not been made, it's never been put on a shelf and ignored," said Sevier County Sheriff's Office Chief Detective Jeff McCarter, who worked on the case back in 2009. All police have is a single description, plus the certain clue that the King must have had close contacts in Dallas society. Or their Packard might not have developed a noise in the motor just before they reached the Texas border citybut it did. Love Arkansas? The stranger then showed Sumpter and McLemore his vessel: a cigar-shaped amalgamation of blimp and balloon that was nearly 60 feet long The pilot even offered them a ride, but the officers refused. 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. 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. Then Horton withdrew the fundsto send to Tex, the attorney told Bergeron, pursuant to a prearranged plan. 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.