Ten years after the Alford Plea, the court where the case was tried will lose jurisdiction, which means this August, Echols' defense attorneys could no longer file petitions for relief, which, depending on what happened to the evidence, could be a petition for dismissal. Published on April 20, 2021 11:44 AM. Police said Derrick Penny was also shot and received a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Im thankful for officers who are willing to put their lives on the line when evil threatens our community. Jay Torres. A construction worker was arrested on a felony warrant Thursday night stemming from allegations he . Report: Arkansas farmer who 'tried to mess with' body of jogger he killed competent to stand trial By Crystal Bonvillian, Cox Media Group National Content Desk February 16, 2021 at 10:13 am PST. What they're saying: The change to NIBRS reporting in Arkansas over several years is likely why there's a growing gap between the state and U.S. trend lines in the chart above, Drawve says. At first the man seemed to comply, but when the officer approached the man to put him in restraints, the man produced an edged weapon slashing the officers throat and neck just under a minute after the officer arrived, Baker said. Three people are dead and a police officer is recovering from being stabbed in the neck in an incident at a residence in Fort Smith, Arkansas, police said. The victims -- Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch and Michael Moore -- were found naked and hogtied with shoelaces. MARION COUNTY, Ark. Officials say at on April 4th, 2021 . When the officer arrived, the shirtless man was beating his 15-year-old son with a rock in the head and face and, and the officer ordered him to stop, Baker said. James also claimed that Arrington was having a mental breakdown and the Allegheny County Police officers probably . Please pray for all of us.. States are categorized from highest rate to lowest rate. By the numbers: Arkansas had a record number of violent crimes in 2020, a rate of 672 per 100,000 residents. Dig deeper Dugans wife told cops her husband would often sleepwalk and he could have been having an episode at the time. Officers believe each of the suspects were already under investigation for criminal gang activity in Blytheville, noting Skycop cameras played a huge role in the investigation. The COVID-19 pandemic led to school closures and left millions of Americans out of work. During that violent time 28 years ago, the capital city faced a gang war, with records showing 76 homicides. Though no DNA evidence ever tied the West Memphis Three to the crime scene, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were convicted, spending nearly 20 years in prison until a twist of events in August 2011 when prosecutors allowed the men to immediately walk free. Murders have increased in Arkansas, Little Rock at a faster rate than the U.S. as a whole, data shows by Teresa Moss | September 28, 2021 at 7:05 a.m. Police tape The number of murders in. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists homicide as a contributing factor in the historic 1.5 year decline in life expectancy in the U.S. last year trailing only COVID-19 and accidental deaths, like drug overdoses, in significance. We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. 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ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) Two Fulton County residents a mother and a son are in custody involving the shooting death of 19-year-old Davidlee Alan Kane Stansbury, of Salem, Arkansas. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. According to a media release from Blytheville police, officers got a call around 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 7 about multiple shots being fired in the southeast side of town. 21, 2021 at 9:18 AM PDT. For comparison, the national homicide rate stands at 6.5. During an April 2021 interview with the news website Talk Business & Politics, Chrestman said much of the evidence from the West Memphis Three case was gone. . Jason Baldwin had no idea what was happening when a fellow inmate at the supermax prison in Varner, Arkansas, woke him up early one morning in . Were all left scared, angry, frustrated, sometimes hopeless. Evidence requested by attorneys for new DNA testing in one of the most high-profile, savage murder cases in Arkansas history has been lost or destroyed by fire, dashing hopes that the men . Four people are in custody, and police are still looking for two more. He told police he tried to call 911 but the call wouldnt connect. In addition to the blunt force trauma, the autopsy revealed the baby had suffered rib fractures. 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. As for a motive, police believe the four suspects had gotten into a shoot-out with three additional suspects, who were on foot, near Myrtle and Walls. The claim that there is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is FALSE, based on our research. Compare Fort Smith crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. 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. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks. ", "I don't know what was destroyed or what was not destroyed," McClendon said. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. Logs detailing the chain of custody and other specifics of when evidence from the West Memphis Three case was transferred from the state Crime Lab to West Memphis are confidential and only available to prosecutors, defense attorneys and public defenders, Channell said. For instance, for every 100,000 people in 2019, there had been 1,609.2 violent crimes in Pine Bluff. According to a press release from the Camden Police . Chasing Chains, LLC. 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. 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. Here is a look at the states where gun sales are surging. He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move. Updated Jan 8, 2021; 3:58. Some experts speculate that each of these factors likely played a role in the rising homicide rate. According to an online inmate listing from the Mississippi County Sheriffs Office, Carter, Nance and Deontay Penny were also arrested on suspicion of hindering apprehension, terroristic act, and engaging in a continuing crime gang or enterprise. The officer fired two shots, killing the man, according to Baker. Helena-West Helena Source: Public domain Overall SnackAbility 1 /10 Population: 10,187 Rank Last Year: 8 Murders: 11 (4th Most) Murders Per 100k: 108.0 (Most) More on Helena-West Helena: Data | Photos 2. Three people died and an officer was stabbed in the neck in an incident in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Sunday. In the last 5 years Jonesboro has seen rise of . The most dangerous city in Alaska is Anchorage, where the violent crime rate is 1,203 per 100,000 residents and 27 people were murdered in 2017. Though a woman's remains were found in late. That left us with 26 cities to rank.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'roadsnacks_net-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_13',706,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-roadsnacks_net-mobile-leaderboard-2-0');Most Dangerous Cities In AmericaFinally, we averaged the two scores into an index:The raw number of murders in each cityThe murders per personWe felt as if a small place with 2,500 people and two murders makes it a lot more dangerous than a city of 25,000 people with three murders. . "The state of Arkansas continues to attempt to prevent this testing from happening. "Whatever it takes, we will keep fighting it. Datatable showing data for the United States Map figure. ", "We will keep fighting," said Davis, who produced documentaries about the murders. 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. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. Several area homes and vehicles were also damaged in the gunfire, police said. The second deadly shooting was not far away when police said 18-year-old Xavier Johnson was shot Tuesday night in the 10000 block of Republic Lane. Were law enforcement officers investigating serial killings in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in mid-April, 2021? Pregnant Arkansas nurse, 23, her toddler, 2, are shot dead by her husband before he turns gun on himself in double murder-suicide. ", Part of the Alford Plea agreement was that defense attorneys "wouldn't sue the state civilly for wrongful conviction," Benca said. A total of 21,570 murders were committed nationwide in 2020, up nearly 30% from the previous year the largest annual increase on record. Bond for Chris Byrd, 33, has been set at $100,000. "In my experience, it is always difficult when you go back and look at a case that is 25 or 30 years old.". We have many federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ. David, Paiden and Grayson's bodies have been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for autopsies. CITY OF LITTLE ROCK WEBSITE 2023 City of . Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Fort Smith is 1 in 90 and property crime is 1 in 18. Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Fort Smith, AR. Crime. Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios NW Arkansas. Pulaski County is the largest county in Arkansas, with a population of over 392,000 residents, and is home to Arkansas most popular city, Little Rock. If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already. 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. . Thompson said police are looking to both state and federal charges in the case. Thanks for contacting us. On Saturday, March 27, 2021, Paige Autumn White's body was found in the Hot Springs National Park near Whittington/Blacksnake Road. Since their release, attorneys and supporters of the West Memphis Three -- who have been the subject of numerous articles, movies and books -- have been working to clear their names. The rash of deadly violence came during a tumultuous year in American history. In the wake of the medical examiners findings, Dugan allegedly told police he had fallen asleep on his bed with the baby on his chest. 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. Next 10 CitiesHow we calculated the murder capitals of ArkansasWhile there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we didn't want to rely on speculation and opinion. "We still believe we are going to do that, and we are never going to back down. We believe the more resources we can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities. Chrestman informed attorneys that after the 2011 Alford Plea, "some of the evidence ended up 'lost,' some of the evidence was 'misplaced' and some of the evidence was 'destroyed by fire' in a building that burned down,'" according to the Freedom of Information Act request submitted to the West Memphis Police Department seeking detailed records of how evidence was catalogued and where it was stored. We only looked every single city in Arkansas for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. Style. Last year, the estimated number of violent crimes in Arkansas spiked to its highest level in more than three decades. If you're looking at the places in Arkansas with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Dugan allegedly returned 10 minutes later to find the baby choking on her milk. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ citizen detective communities tell TMZ later to find baby. 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