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of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. According to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Little Rock is 6,707.0 per 100,000 people. Thompson said police are looking to both state and federal charges in the case. Home; . A bargain, known as an Alford Plea, permitted the men to maintain their innocence yet plead guilty in exchange for an 18-year sentence and credit for time served. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were 9,951 Arkansas murders. For comparison, the national homicide rate stands at 6.5 per 100,000. According to a press release from the Camden Police . . Arkansas VIOLENT CRIMES Population: 3,025,891 United States VIOLENT CRIMES Population: 331,888,310 Property Crime Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents) 100 75 50 25 0 26.47 National Median: 19 Arkansas My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime 1 in 38 in Arkansas Arkansas Property CRIMES Population: 3,025,891 By Justin Sayles Jun 9, 2021, 6:30am EDT. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. ", "We intend to keep this alive," said Lonnie Soury, a New York-based spokesman who works with Arkansas Take Action, a group advocating for the exoneration of the three men. Update: Chipotle launching new TikTok-inspired quesadilla. By Dorian Geiger Crime. COMPSTAT is an abbreviation for Comparative Statistics, the process by which LRPD measures violent and property crime levels against last year's numbers. Attorneys learned that the evidence they hoped to test -- including the victims' shoes, socks, shirts and shoelaces that were used as ligatures -- had either been lost, misplaced or destroyed by fire, according to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted July 6, 2021, by one of Echols' attorneys, Patrick Benca, to the West Memphis Police Department. That would be Helena-West Helena with 108.0 murders per 100,000 people. It stated: 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. "What we are asking for, we don't know," Benca said. 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. Police in Little Rock, Arkansas, are looking for a serial killer who has been tied to four seemingly random knife attacks that occurred between August 2020 and April 2021, resulting in three deaths. Authorities said Dugan has repeatedly changed his story regarding his daughters death. 1967 - Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller declares a moratorium on executions 1970 - Governor Rockefeller grants clemency to all 15 men on death row 1972 - The Supreme Court strikes down the death penalty in Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Download 2021 Rankings; Healthiest Communities. Most of these recent Little Rock murders have not been solved, and law enforcement continues to investigate their homicides. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1965 to 2019 there were 9,951 murders in Arkansas. Just as Arkansas has a higher than average murder rate, its overall violent crime rate is also higher than average. In fact, it exceeded the national rate for the 16th straight year, according to recent FBI statistics. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. Im thankful for the medical team, who took care of our officer. We believe the more resources we can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities. It would be quite aggressive. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Stinson said the body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Little Rock for an autopsy. 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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. Attorneys in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial are expected to deliver their closing arguments beginning Wednesday after jurors visited the scene of the killings of the disbarred Lowcountry attorney . 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. An Arkansas woman allegedly told police her husband may have beaten their newborn to death while his was sleepwalking. The department is investigating the deaths as a murder/suicide, Counts . . Crime stats are updated weekly, the result of the LRPD's COMPSTAT meeting. "In capital murder cases, evidence is kept and securely stored, but in cases like this the evidence is often destroyed or lost.". Updated: 11:31 PM CDT March 29, 2021 SPRINGDALE, Ark. As part of the Alford Plea agreement, prosecutors agreed that "the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory would help seek other suspects on any DNA evidence produced in private laboratory tests during the defense team's investigation," the FOIA request to the West Memphis Police Department said. 9:08 PM EDT, Sun October 17, 2021. If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already. Were all left scared, angry, frustrated, sometimes hopeless. . 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. Amazingly, nobody else was injured in this reckless act in which the suspects clearly had no regard for the value of life, Police Chief Ross Thompson said. Crime in Arkansas Rogers woman sentenced to 22 years in prison after parking lot incident involving police BENTONVILLE -- A Rogers woman was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday in connection. A few examples of Arkansas cold cases which have been solved by DNA in recent years include the 2000 murder of Tawana Blunt and the 1985 murder of Mildred Lee Matheny, as well as many others. "That is what I am being told, that there was a fire many, many years ago.". Published on April 20, 2021 11:44 AM. MARION, Iowa (KCRG) - On February 7th, Marion Police arrested 22-year-old Samuel Goodwin for murder in the first degree and child endangerment causing death. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. The most dangerous town of the state is West Memphis. Last year, the estimated number of violent crimes in Arkansas spiked to its highest level in more than three decades. (2021) KFBB-KHBB Annual EEO Report (2022) KFBB-KHBB Annual EEO Report (2021) KWYB Annual EEO Report (2022) West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon said via phone Friday that he had confirmed with the West Memphis Police Department that some of the evidence "might have been destroyed" in a fire "around 15 years ago. All four victims were transported to various medical facilities across Arkansas. Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Fort Smith, AR. 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. While it may be years before the precise causal factors are identified, the effects are being felt in communities across the country. Compare Fort Smith crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges Neshan Johnson, 20, is on trial for murder over his alleged role in 2021 shooting of . September 7, 2021 at 5:00 a.m. A Camden man has been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with the August 31 shooting of Greg Askew. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Feb. 28A 31-year-old Thurston County man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his parents in 2021. No one believes in the sanctity of life more than the men and women of the Fort Smith Police Department. Crime stories; Little Rock crime map; Opinion . Baker said he has asked the Arkansas State Police to take the lead in the investigation because the incident involved an officer firing their weapon at someone. 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 . "We don't have the physical storage space to keep all the homicide evidence for the state of Arkansas. by . In the last 5 years Jonesboro has seen rise of . Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Little Rock with 38. As authorities. Dugan allegedly told detectives that he couldnt remember if he had been sleepwalking when the girl suffered the fatal injuries. During that violent time 28 years ago, the capital city faced a gang war, with records showing 76 homicides. Missouri The fourth-highest assassination rate in the USA is of Missouri as 14 per 100,000 inhabitants. The monthly statistics are calculated to address the most frequently requested inquiries. Lee was convicted of capital murder in 1995, . You can download the data here. Context: Arkansas' numbers are probably more accurate overall than much of the country's because of the way the state reports them, Drawve says. 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 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer rattled confidence in American law enforcement and sparked nationwide protests. MUHAMMAD, Edward Charles These are the places in Arkansas where people were killed most often, according to the latest FBI numbers. A total of 21,570 murders were committed nationwide in 2020, up nearly 30% from the previous year the largest annual increase on record. Marijuana . It was higher than in 93.0% U.S. cities. He alleged that he patted the baby on her back to clear her airways before going to a neighbors home so they could call 911. The Ouachita County Sheriff's Department's Capt. Discovery Company. 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