And she never would havehad a window down. Riggs' defense said she was suffering from depression and apparently did not want to have her children split up after her envisioned suicide. Why these two cities were chosen among some of the more exotic locations, which include Seattle, New Orleans, London, Tokyo, and Paris, is unclear. Noted now for being an obsolete method of execution, death by electrocution is still a legal secondary execution practice in Arkansas. All of the links in this post refer back to the author's references. The Democrat-Gazette ran a follow-up story about a week later. No one has ever been charged in any of the three aforementioned cases. Inexplicably, though, Banks' case file was destroyed in 1992. 2. Crime Tips HOTline (870) 642-2125 or Submit Via Email. Arkansas was no different. Arrests were made, some jewels recovered, but the King himself was never caught. Some of the most famous Arkansas murders that made and remained in headline news for an extended period of time, and are still considered some notorious Arkansas criminals, include former NFL player Raphel Cherry, who killed his wife in 1999; Curtis Vance, who murdered popular news anchor Anne Pressley in 2008; and Christina Riggs, who killed her two young children in 1997, among many other Arkansas famous murders. Rumors swirled. 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. "It's sad," John Madewell said. On April 17, 1905, an African-American levee worker named John Barnett was hanged by a black mob near Askew (Lee County) for allegedly murdering a fellow worker. It is literally the most comprehensive review of everything which has happened in that case that has been done.. The police have the man who did it, and he is indeed behind bars. 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. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Her friends said that there was a "creepy" man talking to Morgan around the last time she was seen. The one overwhelming fact of life is chance. IZARD COUNTY, Ark. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were 9,951 murders in Arkansas. Shortly after India received its independence from Great Britain, the ruling maharajah decided to convert his jewelry into foreign currency. Indeed, the evidence has pointed to someone outside the family, someone who knew Shannon Hercutt, McCarter said. Judge David Laser accepted the pleas and sentenced the three to time served. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. The victim was a young blonde, and she had been savagely beaten before being shot in the. Still the curious account from a local TV reporter lingers more than a decade later. 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. "You may remain anonymous. More specifically, in Little Rock, Arkansas most populated city, in 2018 the homicide rate was 20.07 per 100,000 residents. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. 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. John Burnett was apprehended and hanged a month later in Fayeteville as well. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. The puzzle is still currently ongoing and its progress can be followed here. All rights reserved. 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. According to investigators, the man killed his wife in front of his children. 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. Robert L. Tex Roberts wasperhaps still isan aging, eccentric, cigar-smoking millionaire. The FBI maintains that Banks' case is one of many unsolved civil rights-era cases that it is still investigating. Whether you agree or disagree with the amount of justice served in the courts decisions, theres no doubt that these terrible murders or even the punishments served by the perpetrators will be erased from the minds of Natural State natives anytime soon. If you have any information about these cases, please contact our office at (870) 642-2125. Over the years, around 7,797 of those murders were solved, leaving over 2,100 unsolved murders in Arkansas alone. Here's what is known about them SABRINA LYNN UNDERWOOD:. Usually, its a quiet whisper because you dont want anyone to know you committed this horrible heinous crime.. She was last seen at 10:45 p.m. by her friends, emptying sand out of her shoes at her mother's car. When they returned to the hotel shortly before midnight, they got the bad news about the car, and for the next four days, they shopped in the Juarez marketplace and danced away the nights. Volume 1. . The exact cause of death in Frazier's case has not been released. Simmons was charged with 16 counts of murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Public Domain/Wikimedia. The memo also says the backups were supposed to be delivered to a Huckabee aide. That autopsy found Hercutt suffered headinjuries she couldn't possibly have sustained in the crash. After her children were dead, Riggs unsuccessfully attempted suicide. Sadly, after more than 20 years, it appears that the deaths of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Chris Byers will forever remain unsolved. Since the case against the men depended on his testimony, charges had to be dismissed after his death. Police believe she was abducted before she was tossed in the ditch. This case, I had to use more anonymous sources because people didnt want to talk about it, Jared said. Later that night, a large fire sprung up in parts of Pulaski, Lonoke, and Jefferson Counties. Garland County Prosecutor Michelle Lawrence confirmed Thursday the case was still under review by her office. New book investigates unsolved murders across Northeast Arkansas New book investigates unsolved murders across Northeast Arkansas. Cherry was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, but upon appeal of his conviction, his sentenced was reduced to 30 years. 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. todaysthv.com. 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. 2009 KSLA-TV & Raycom Media. Jared said his book also has chapters that include other cases, too. During his original stories with those subjects, Jared won Feature Writer of the Year from the AP and Arkansas Press Association. He asked to be put in touch with Tex personally, but Horton insisted on protecting his clients strict request for secrecy. 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. Stephens did not return requests for comment for this story. Since the beginning of 2021 through the end of May, there have been 27 murders in Little Rock, Arkansas, alone. I just have a feeling that a lot of murderers, at some pointthese [killers] told somebody, Jared said. $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. Thank you! He took only womens jewelryand only the best pieces at that, never costume jewelry and never ordinary items like pearls. In early January 2014, Cicada 3301 released another message in its three year journey. Ford shot at the creature and it briefly fell to the ground before disappearing into the night. She had also been arrested in Texas under the aliases "Cheryl Wick," "Kelly Carr/Karr," "Sharon Wiley," and "Mercedes.". The case remains unsolved and is shrouded in mystery. Little is known about the puzzle's creator(s). into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. A willows branches reach toward the ground and raindrops falling from the branches resemble tears, giving it the name weeping willow. Willow trees are prevalent in fiction but throughout cultures across the world, too. Well, two of the clues were posted in Fayetteville and Little Rock. But he had a good reputation for paying his gambling debts. 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. The report was []. The blaze scorched a path one mile long and 150-feet wide. 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. It was one of many reported "airship" sightings that swept the country in the late 19th century. As of this writing, however, the latest mention of this story dates back to late 2011. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. Parks' security firm was later contracted to guard Clinton's presidential campaign headquarters in 1992. Some of the cases only hope of being solved lie in the hands and on the conscious of potential witnesses. Chitwood decided a court of inquiry was necessary, and Judge Dee Brown Walker agreed. We believe the more resources we can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities. The telling of the story varies wildly. She was very passionate about her company," said Madewell, who now runs Auntie Belham's alongside his wife. On November 11, 2009, Vance was convicted of capital murder, residential burglary, rape, and theft of property. Main Page; Discuss; All Pages; Community; Interactive Maps; Recent Blog Posts; Netflix series. All rights reserved. Robbery certainly had to be considered; there was no money on the corpse, but there was an expensive waterproof wristwatch. Either way, the murders that took place in Arkansas left a mark on the state and made headlines in the news. Nevertheless, the handwriting expert (using copies) testified that Roberts signatures were, in his opinion, not genuine. 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. The following day, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Convicted of murder after a two-day trial in May 1945, Hall was sentenced to death. They were partially undressed but had not been raped. "We've always kept this case open. Despite Rector's mental state, then Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton made a point of returning to Arkansas to oversee Rector's January 24, 1992 execution during the 1992 U.S. Presidential campaign. The question on many residents' minds: were the two incidents linked? 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. Both women had been shotbut by different guns. 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. The couple's son's are now in the custody of relatives. The Little Rock Police Department dismissed such claims as "unsubstantiated". 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. 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. She was last seen chasing fireflies with her friends on the outskirts of the ball fields. Police interrogated more than 3000 persons, from highway travelers to narcotics addicts, all to no avail. The book also delves into Arkansas death row, which made it back into the news in 2017. The only evidence left behind were 10 9-mm bullet casings scattered on the pavement. 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.". Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Bidding farewell to their new acquaintance who said he was on his way to, of all places, Nashville the two officers left. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were around 9,951 murders in Arkansas alone. 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. She was a beautiful lady. Despite the heinous crime, a formal investigation was never performed. "We don't know if it's drug related or some sort of payback or what. But subtle clues soon tipped off her loved ones that there was more to the story. 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. Police were summoned to the scene, but officers took the report via the drive-thru window and never entered the building to interview the suspect. We've always constantlytried to do things to try to solve it. Dr. Doug [], JONESBORO, Ark. Hercuttwouldn't have been out driving that late. 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. There's just something that comes together at some point, and I truly believe that it will here, too. "I'll be seeing and hearing gunshots over there," said Arbor. 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. Lavinia and her husband were sentenced to death in October 1845. Escorted to the electric chair on January 4, 1946, he was all smiles, laughing and joking with his guards. Once inside, deputies found Crystal Sharp in the house with gunshot wounds to the head and face. At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch lightning bugs with her friends. 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 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. And we still have some of those here today.". 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. McCarter, the chief detective, would not releasethe initial report a decade after the crash. Until then, natives of the Natural State will remain haunted by these unsolved mysteries. At the time it was thought he had been caught in a bear trap, frozen to death and thrown aside. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He never cracked a safe but simply lifted the goods from a bathroom dressing table. 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. 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. Detectives meet regularly with prosecutors to go over the case, McCarter said, and DNA evidence was recently resubmitted to the state crime labfor testing. Despite being terribly beaten, the two survived. 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. If you enjoy coverage like this, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. She vanished in Halloween 2011 and then her body was found in a cemetery not far from her house underneath some bushes. In his book, Jared interviewed investigators and detectives who have worked on the case over many years. 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. The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition. 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". 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. 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. The property had been sold to a management company created and owned by Horton. A third possibility caught the attention of the FBI, which entered the case to investigate a possible obstruction of justice. In Japan, the willow represents ghosts. In Chinese culture, a willow branch can ward off evil spirits. Forty minutes later, they returned, but found no trace of the pilot or his mysterious airship. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. Next Horton tried to cash Roberts ample holdings of stocks and bonds. Rector then shot himself in the head in a suicide attempt. Unsolved Murder Files; Unsolved Mystery Files; Legend Files; Suggested Cases; The Investigators; Contributing . Phone: (870) 642-2125 (24 Hours) Emergency: Dial 911. Driftwood? They were seen dancing with an unknown American in a Mexican cabaret. Bergeron looked at the familiar signature again and decided it didnt look quite right. "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. When her mother, Colleen Nick, came to get Morgan to go home, she found no trace of her daughter. At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch lightning bugs with her friends. From 1956 to 1966 a cat burglar heisted more than $1 million in jewels from palatial homes in north Dallas and the Park Cities. Once confident of solving the case, they have lost their optimism with the years. 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. Police said they've interviewed hundreds of people, but no useful leads have turned up. 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. 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.. In January 2007, outgoing Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made a peculiar request of his staff: destroy the office computers. Bojangles." The long-time reporter told NEA Report his book title has meaning in correlation with a lot of the cases in the book, especially the three unsolved murder cases. 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. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. Investigators said the case remains under investigation. Isadore Banks grew up in that era of oppression. 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. Jared takes a deep personal interest in these cases and others he covers, often becoming close with the family of the victims. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were 9,951 Arkansas murders. UNSOLVED MURDER: Garland County, AR- TEELA HUDSON (17) and FRANK DELANEY (18) was found August 31, 1987 shot to death "execution-style " inside Delaney's car in eastern Garland County, and authorities are still trying to bring the killers to justice. A litany of theories emerged as motives for the murder. 4. 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. 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 . And a decade later, the case remains unsolved. Willow trees are another deliberate choice Jared made to include in the book. 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. But Shannon's life was stopped short on a late summer night on August 3rd, 2009. 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. 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. Thank you! But he would like to. He owned several businesses, along with nearly 1,000 acres of land. "I can take it." "And don't sit there and act like you're so innocent.". 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. Bergeronwho knew he was a major beneficiary under his friends willdidnt quite know what to think about Hortons assurances that Tex was getting the money. Madewell recalled drivingbackto Sevier County from Ohio the day after Hercutt's death on Aug. 3, 2009. The lawmen at the scene, he said,did not go down the embankment to view his daughter's body. He found the usually locked front door ajar but no one home.