Transformation_v12.no2.1997.Spring.pdf
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- Transformation_v12.no2.1997.Spring.pdf
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Property of the Center
Vol. 12 Issue 2
Spring 1997
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Juanita Weston - Little Rock
Betty Cole - Colt
Freddie Nixon - Little Rock
Amy Edgington - Little Rock
Euba Harris-Winton - Ft. Smith
Celia Wildroot - Hot Springs
Annette Shead - Little Rock
Carol Nokes - Little Rock
Precious Williams - Ogden
Sarah Facen - Little Rock
INSIDE
1996 Women's
Watch care
Network Log
Women's Watchcare
Network Log
he Women's Project has recorded the murders of women
and girls in Arkansas each year
since 1988. Those murders in which
robbery or drugs were the motive
are not included in the annual log.
This year's log includes the murders
of 47 women and girls; a 15% decrease from the 55 murders logged
in 1995.
The decrease in murders is consistent with the decrease in violent
crime reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Violent crime
(murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) declined 9% nationally compared to 1995. The decline
in the number of violent crimes began two years ago, interrupting a
rising trend that existed since the
mid-1980s. However, a Justice Department report released in December 1996 indicated that while violent
crime rates are falling, the proportion of female victims is rising,
mainly because of domestic violence.
Twenty years ago, one female was
a crime victim for every two males,
the Bureau of Justice Statistics report
said. Now the ratio is two female
victims for every three males. Men
Judy Matsuoka
continue to commit the overwhelming number of crimes and also are
more frequently the victims. For
example, in 1994, 6.2 million of the
reported 10.9 million victims were
men.
The report said that women are
catching up. They are more likely to
be attacked or killed by someone
they know-usually
a male. "Female homicide victims are more than
twice as likely to have been killed by
husbands or boyfriends than male
victims are to have been killed by
wives or girlfriends," the report said.
Murdered Women
In 1996, as in the years 1988-95,
women in Arkansas were most at
risk from people they knew. Fortythree percent (43%) of the murdered
women were killed by a current or
former husband or boyfriend. Fifteen percent (15%) of the slayings
were perpetuated by a relative other
than a husband, such as a son, stepson, brother-in-law, or father-in-law.
And 21% of the victims were killed
by an acquaintance. Thus, 79% of
the victims were killed by someone
(continued on page 2)
they knew. Only 4% of the murderers were known to
Older women, ages 60-89, comprised 21% of the
be strangers to the victims. (Of the 47 murdered
murder victims. Thirty percent (30%) were slain by
women, no arrests had been made in 13% of their
their husbands, usually in a murder-suicide. Sixty
(60%) were killed by acquaintances and 10% by
cases and the relationship to the perpetrator was
unknown in another 4% of their cases.)
unknown persons.
The most frequent cause of death for the murMurdered Youth
dered women and girls was a wound from a handThirty-seven murders of youth were logged in
gun (30%) or other type of gun (19%). Therefore
two categories: child abuse by care-givers and murfirearms were used in 49% of the murders, which is
ders resulting from street violence. Five children
consistent with our previous data. During the years
died as a result of abuse or neglect
of 1988 to 1995, firearms were used
while in the presence of a caregiver.
in 42% to 62% of the murders of
Thirty-two youth (up to age 20) were
women and girls in Arkansas.
In
1996,
as
in
the
murdered as a result of street vioOther causes of death for 1996 were
lence; handguns were the cause in
stabbing or slashing (11%), stranyears
1988-95,
most of these deaths.
gulation or asphyxiation (15%),
beating(19%) andother(14%). The
women in Arkansas
Other Violence
"other" category includes being
There are seven accounts of racthrown from a moving vehicle and
ist violence described in this year's
injection with contaminated drugs,
were most at risk
log. All were reported in local newsas well as the 4% of cases in which
papers.
Seven incidents are dethe cause of death is being kept
from people they
scribed in the section titled, "Police
confidential pending trial. NOTE:
The percentages given above add
Brutality," including an account of
knew.
up to more than 100% because of
the shooting of Kevin Williams, who
the multiple methods used in some
was threatening his girlfriend with
cases.
a gun at the time of his death. This
As consistent with past years, the women most
incident has galvanized the Little Rock community,
often murdered were 20-29 years old. In 1996, 21%
especially the African American community, into
were in this age category. The next most frequent age
calling for a citizens' review board to look into police
categories were 30-39 years (19%) and 40-49 (19%). actions.
Thus 59% of the murdered women were between the
There are also six accounts of anti-gay or antiages of 20 and 49 years. Although statewide figures
lesbian violence recorded; five were reported in local
show that 43% of murdered women were killed by a
newspapers and one is from a victim's statement.
husband, boyfriend or ex-partner, the women in the
There were other incidents reported to us but we
20-49 years category were more likely to be killed by
were unable to get the victim's or family's permistheir intimate partners. Fifty percent (50%) of these
sion to include them in the published log. There were
20-49 year-old women were killed by their current or
no accounts of violence against transgendered performer male partners; 25% by men known to have
sons reported to us-which does not discount or
committed previous domestic violence. Overall, 19% diminish the everyday discrimination faced by
transgendered people.
of the murders were committed by men with histories of domestic violence.
A new category was included beginning in Octo-
Page 2 • Transformation• Spring 1997
ber 1997: violence against people with disabilities or
HIV/ AIDS. Four incidences are reported since data
began to be collected: two involving abuse of disabled people residing in nursing homes. This category was included out of an awareness that ableism
is based on the same beliefs as sexism-that people
with disabilities are like women: different, less able,
less capable, less competent and therefore more vulnerable.
This year there was one report of an anti-Semitic
incident and no reports of anti-Catholic actions. It is
important to remember that not all anti-religious
group violence-or all racist, sexist, ethnic, ableist,
anti-gay or anti-transgender violence-is reported in
the media, to the police, or to the Women's Project.
Victims often do not report such violence for fear of
more violence against themselves or their families.
Other Activities in Arkansas
The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan held rallies in
Mountain Home and Arkadelphia. There was not a
large attendance at these rallies. Most citizens either
stayed away or attended counter rallies. A counter
rally in Mountain Home was attended by 150-200
people.
The Knights of the KKK also set up tables at a flea
market operated by the Alpena Merchants Association and displayed T-shirts, caps, cassette tapes and
literature. Residents complained that the Knights
had tried to force Klan literature on them. The
Knights were told that they could have a booth as
long as they abided by the flea market rules of no
advertising and no disruption.
Local affiliates of national religious Right organizations were active in supporting strongly conservative candidates for office, opposing the Governor's
School, promoting the establishment of charter
schools and the loosening of state oversight of home
schooling, and opposing same-sex marriages. In July,
Gov. Jim Guy Tucker stepped down from office
following a felony conviction; Lt. Gov. Mike
Huckabee, a Baptist minister, became governor.
Huckabee has attended the Christian Coalition national conferences and the conferences of the Right to
Life movement. Since assuming office of governor,
he has also led a local anti-abortion march to the
Capitol, introduced Phyllis Schlafly at an Eagle Forum breakfast, and testified in the legislature against
late-term abortion.
Bills opposing same-sex marriages and late-term
abortion were filed in the state Legislature early in
the session; and there was a strong commitment to
cut spending in both the Medicaid and welfare programs. The same-sex marriage bill has been signed
into law, thus defining marriage as "only between a
man and a woman" and prohibiting the recognition
of same-sex marriages performed in other states. The
late-term abortion bill was also signed which restricts the use of this procedure. Implementation of
the welfare reform measures, including a two-year
limit on benefits, have been postponed until July
1998 and the provision of health insurance for children of low income but Medicaid-ineligible families
was signed.
Final Words
Although it is disheartening to read the details of
yet another year of violence against women, people
of color, youth, lesbians and gay men and people
with disabilities, we are strengthened by the growing
work of coalitions to bring about social change.
When bills were filed in both the House and
Senate against same-sex marriages in Arkansas, a
coalition, the Arkansas Non-Discrimination Alliance
(ANDA), formed to fight for fairness. ANDA included as its members the Women's Project, the
Arkansas Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Mainstream,
the Coalition for Choice and the ACLU, and worked
to get protection against employment discrimination
for lesbians and gay men.
When rumblings were heard about massive cuts
in Medicaid, Mainstream, ADAPT, the Disability
Coalition and the Women's Project were among the
groups advocating for the rights of people with dis-
Page 3 • Transformation• Spring 1997
(
abilities to get consumer-directed community-based
care, not institutionalization in a nursing home.
As welfare reform began to take shape, the
Women's Project and others joined together in the
Kids Count Coalition to fight for the well-being of
poor women and their children in the face of proposed welfare cut-backs.
People are also working to address the issues of
hate and violence. A number of Arkansans have
hosted house parties to view and discuss the video
Not in Our Town to learn how to say no to intolerance.
Similar viewings took place throughout 1996 on college campuses and with church groups. Counterrallies were held when the Klan came to Arkansas
towns and the Teenage Republicans of Baxter County
(TAR) issued a proclamation denouncing the message of the Ku Klux Klan in response to their announcement to hold a local rally. And in Fayetteville,
a 16-year old gay youth has refused to let his beating
byagangofyoungmenintimidatehiminto
silence.
He and his parents are actively working with
PFLAG and Parents for Tolerance to address the
safety needs of all children in our public schools.
A new network of social change organizations in
Arkansas has formed to work around the issues of
hate and violence affecting the many people who
make up the community. A "Hate Free Zones"
campaign is being designed to educate about the
harm conveyed through the hate rhetoric or bias
violence directed toward any group of people.
It is a very hopeful sign that coalitions of people
who usually don't sit at the same table are being
formed to reduce hate and violence and to address
the economic issues which often separate groups and
spawn violence. We do so with the growing realization that our oppressions are connected-to fight
against racism is to fight against economic injustice,
to fight against sexism is to fight against ableism,
homophobia and trangender-phobia. We are finally
aware that the bridges to a just and violence-free
society must carry us all.
The Worn.en's
WatchcareNetwork
The Women's Watch care Network, formed in 1989,
is a statewide project made up of volunteers who
bring their hope for social justice into the work of
clipping newspaper reports of violence, organizing
community discussion groups, staffing data collection and responding, often at considerable risk, to
acts of violence against people because of their race,
gender, class, sexual orientation, gender identity,
age, religious beliefs, or disability.
The Women's Watchcare Network has five purposes:
1. To monitor the activities of white supremacist
groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, the activities of the
religious Right and individual acts of racist, religious, ableist, sexist and anti-lesbian/ gay violence;
2. To organize community responses to this violence in an effort to end it and create a society where
all people can live in wholeness and safety;
3. To work with communities to provide support
for victims of biased violence;
4. To provide community education about the
nature of biased violence and systemic oppression;
5. To work to change the ins ti tu tions in this society
that give us policies and values which create a climate fostering such violence.
About the Women's Watchcare
Network Log
The Women's Watchcare Network Log, published
annually, is a documentation of sexist, racist, homophobic and religious violence, the activities of the
religious right and the activities of organized hate
groups in Arkansas.
Page 4 • Transformation• Spring 1997
Our log only contains information that we can
verify by naming the source. We have chosen this
method to avoid getting into the debate over the
truthfulness of our information.
While this approach simplifies matters on one
hand, it also means that if a victim of a hate crime is
the source of information (rather than a published
report in a newspaper) and does not wish for his or
her name to be divulged at any time to any person,
we are unable to print the information. This approach results in a log of verifiable information but
also means that there are many incidents of bias
violence that go unreported by us.
The sources of information that we use for the log
are all available to the public by reading newspapers,
getting on mailing lists from groups that are being
monitored, talking with police and prosecuters and
developing relationships with community volunteers.
The Women's Watchcare Network is not an undercover network. We operate the Watchcare Network with the assumption that our work is being
monitored by others.
All incidentsare listed by the dateof thefirst reportto
appearin the media.The newspapercitedmost often is the
ArkansasDemocrat-Gazette,which is listedas ADG.
Mulkey,27, was charged with capital murder. Mulkey
was Barnes' former stepson. He gave a statement in
which he confessed to beating Barnes with a brass
lamp at home. He then wrapped her in bedding,
stuffed her into her car and drove her to a wooded
area. There he strangled her, removed her pajamas
and doused her with gasoline before setting her body
afire. His attorney said that all Mulkey wanted to do
was sleep but Barnes followed him around her
house, berating him for drinking and smoking
marijuana.
Mulkey confessed but pleaded not guilty to a
charge of capital murder. He was found guilty on a
lesser charge of first-degree murder and sentenced to
life in prison without possibility of parole.
1/3, 1/4, 1/10, 11/2: ADG; Ozark Spectator
Mountain Home,January5
Imogene Huffman, 80 and Albert Huffman, 84,
were found dead in their home by their home health
care nurse. Both died from single gunshot wounds
from a .357-caliber Magnum handgun. Authorities
suspect the deaths resulted from a murder-suicide.
Last October, police responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Huffmans' residence.
1/5: ADG
We do not log cases of rape, incest, abduction,
battering or terroristic threatening of women. We do
not document murders of women where workplace
robbery or drugs were the precipitating factors.
This log addresses the murders of 47 Arkansas
women and girls in 1996.
Hope,January6
The body of Sharonitta Burton, 28, was found in
the bathtub of a burned-out mobile home. The fire
occurred on December 16th, but the body was not
found until January 2nd, when the Fire Department
again searched the ruins of the trailer. The state
medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide. The cause of death was "strangulation with
submersion and cocaine intoxication." No suspects
have been identified.
1I 6, 4/7: ADG
Little Rock,January4
The nude, badly burned body of Martha June
Barnes, 58, was found in a wooded area. David
Montrose,January 10
Monica Wilson, 17, and her daughter, EricaRenee
Barbee, 1 month, were killed when the vehicle they
SEXIST
MURDERS
OFWOMEN
Page 5 • Transformation• Spring 1997
were riding in flipped over after being rammed by a
truck driven by Wilson's boyfriend, Shawn Barbee,
25. A friend, Melissa Dorothy Golden, 15, was also
killed. All three victims were thrown from the vehicle.
Shawn Barbee, Erica's father, was chasing Wilson's
vehicle following a domestic dispute. After the accident, Barbee was held in the Ashley County jail and
charged with reckless driving and driving while
intoxicated. He was later charged with three counts
of negligent homicide. He was found guilty and
sentenced to 90 days in county jail, fined $1000, and
given 60 months of supervised probation and a 3year revocation of his driver's license. Under the
terms of his probation, he is to undergo inhouse
alcohol and drug treatment and face the victims'
families.
1/10: ADG
Montrose,January 10
Melissa Dorothy Golden, 15, was killed when
she was thrown from a vehicle rammed by a truck
driven by Shawn Barbee. See entry for Monica Wilson.
1/10: ADG
Little Rock,January20
Judy Dennis, 51, was shot to death by her husband, Michael Dennis, 43, with a .357-caliber Magnum handgun. Police found Judy lying in the bedroom with a gunshot wound in her face. Michael
Dennis told police at the house that he accidentally
shot his wife while cleaning his gun. Later, at police
headquarters, he told officers that he and his wife
were struggling over the gun when it fired. They had
been arguing about attending a weekend boat show.
Officers had been sent to the home in the past on
a number of domestic disturbance calls. Judy Dennis' 11-year granddaughter was inside the home at
the time of the shooting. Michael Dennis was charged
with first-degree murder and is being held without
bond.
1/20: ADG
Pine Bluff, January21
Jacqueline Wilson, 31, was kidnapped by
JonathanAndreTisdale,31 whotookhertoafriend's
house. Once inside, Tisdale took Wilson to the bathroom where he shot her in the head. He then shot
himself. Both died from single gunshot wounds to
the head.
1/21, 2/4: Pine Bluff Commercial
Batesville,January25
Jean Ann Davidson Sharpe, 34, died as a result of
head injuries inflicted by her husband of three months,
Charles Phillip Sharpe, 38. The night she was injured,
police had been called to the Sharpe residence twice.
They arrested Charles Sharpe on their second visit
when they found him chasing his bloodied wife
down a stairway. Mrs. Sharpe told officers that her
husband had been drinking and had gotten mad at
her when she told him to clean up the bedroom after
he had vomited on the floor. She also told the deputy
that her husband banged her head" a lot" against the
floor and walls in the apartment.
Charles Sharpe was originally arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse and public intoxication. First
degree murder charges were filed when Mrs. Sharpe
died of her injuries the next day. Bond was set at
$500,000, and reduced to $100,000 at a pretrial hearing. Charles Sharpe was found guilty of first-degree
murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
1/24, 1/25, 1/26, 1/31: ADG, TheCourier,Batesville
Guard,Southwest Times Record
Morrilton,February11
Rebecca L. Kerr Taylor, 30, died of massive head
injuries when she fell from a truck driven by her
estranged husband, Kenneth Leon Taylor, 32. Kenneth Taylor told authorities that Rebecca Taylor had
reached into her purse "when the door flew open and
she fell out." A witness told police that he saw
Kenneth Taylor reach out with his right arm toward
a frightened-looking woman passenger who then
came out of the truck and hit the pavement.
Kenneth Taylor later admitted that he pushed
Rebecca out of the truck as the vehicle traveled about
Page 6 •Transformation• Spring 1997
35 miles per hour near Oppelo. Rebecca Taylor's
parents said that Kenneth Taylor had abused their
daughter and that she had recently filed for divorce
and obtained an order of protection against him.
Kenneth Taylor was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
2/11, 2/22, 3/1, 4/3-4, 4/10, 11/15 ADG; Log
CabinDemocrat;CourierNews;DailyPress;DailyRecord;
Country Headlight
Pine Bluff, February16
Lowrean Ringo, 34, was shot to death by her
boyfriend, David Peterson, 66, after an argument
about money she owed him. Peterson and Ringo had
an abusive 5-1/2 year relationship. Friends testified
that during the relationship, Peterson had choked
her and pulled a gun on her. According to Peterson,
he didn't know why he shot Ringo and didn't know
he had killed her. Peterson was convicted of seconddegree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison
with a fine of $15,000.
2/16/96, 3/1/97: ADG; Forrest City/St Francis
Times-Herald
Pine Bluff, February21
The body of Clara Middleton Sutton, 88, was
found by her daughter who went to Sutton's house to
check on her. Sutton had been stabbed in the throat.
The week before her death she had reported to the
police that burglars had broken into her house and
ransacked it while she was in bed. Her neighbors
complained that a house on the block was being used
as a drug house and was attracting criminals. The
police department is offering a $5,000 reward for
information leading to an arrest in this case.
2/21, 2/23, 3 I 6, 12/2: ADG, ConwayCounty Headlight
Clarksville,February23
The bodies of Doris Pils, 76, and her husband,
Douglas Roy Pils, 73, were found in their home.
According to authorities, the deaths appeared to be
the result of a murder-suicide with Mr. Pils shooting
first his wife and then himself. The bodies were sent
to the state medical examiner's office in Little Rock
for autopsy.
2/23:ADG
Pine Bluff, February25
Maudie Louise Marshall West, 32, was strangled
to death and her body pushed down a stairway.
Duane Harold Reilly Jr., 27, confessed to the murder.
He has been charged with first-degree murder.
2/25:ADG
Wynne, March 8
Toy Norwood, 72, was found dead in her home.
Danny Ray Pettigrew, 42, was charged with capital
murder and held without bond. Pettigrew confessed
that he killed Norwood after she refused to give him
money. Authorities said that Pettigrew sometimes
did odd jobs for Norwood to get money for soda and
cigarettes. Pettigrew was found not guilty during his
April 1997 trial.
3/8, 3/16: Wynne Progress;ADG
Cove,March 16
The bodies of Sheila Goodwin, 23, and her boyfriend, Paul Jones, 31, were found at Jones' mobile
home. Both victims had been stabbed and also had
slash wounds to their bodies.
Kevin Baker, 28, was charged with two counts of
first-degree murder. Bond was set at $50,000. A witness reported that Baker and Jones argued outside
the mobile home and Jones was stabbed. When
Goodwin came out of the home, she also was stabbed.
The victims were dragged back inside the home.
3/16-17, 3/21: ADG
Bentonville,March 19
Patricia Wilhelm, 26, died from complications
from the onset of gangrene. Wilhelm had told
her parents that the infection was the result of a
bad tattoo. Before her death, however, Wilhelm
told her mother she had been injected in the
wrist with methamphetamine
by her boyfriend,
Jim Sevart. Authorities believe that the methamphetamine
was contaminated.
Sevart was
Page 7 • Transformation• Spring 1997
charged with injecting a controlled substance into
the body of another person. As of April 1997, he was
still in jail awaiting trial.
3/19-20: Daily Record; The Courier-Journal
Crawfordsville, March 29
Denise Lamb, 29, and her husband, Carl Lamb,
32, were found dead in the home of Denise Lamb's
mother. Crittendon County authorities suspect that
Carl Lamb shot his wife several times with a .38caliber handgun before killing himself. Witnesses
inside the house said the couple began arguing and
moments later they heard gunshots. The couple had
been married for about five years, then divorced and
remarried. They were living at Rholly Moore's home
while attempting to work out their marital problems.
3 /29-30: Evening Times; ADG
Little Rock, March 31
Mary Boudra, 29, was shot to death by her boy-
friend, Lee Edward Ernst, 32, who had reported her
missing. Boudra had been beaten with a crowbar,
then shot with a small-caliber handgun; her body
was found in a creek bed. Ernst was charged with
capital murder and was held without bond.
In 1986, Ernst was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1985shooting of of Gary Douglas Stafford,
21, in Shannon Hills and was sentenced to 20 years in
prison. He was paroled July 27, 1994.
3/31-4/1: ADG; Sun; The Daily Citizen
Atkins, April 26
Janet Arlene Nichols, 29, and Bobby L. McCain,
31, were found shot to death in their mobile home.
The deaths were ruled a murder-suicide. McCain
apparently shot Nichols in the head and then killed
himself. A .22-caliber Magnum rifle was found near
the bodies.
McCain had been arrested two nights before on
charges of public intoxication and third-degree battery. Officers reported that Nichols had then had
facial bruises but she did not want to press charges
against McCain.
4/26: ADG
McCrory, May 3
The body of Brenda Ferguson, 46, was found in a
culvert between Augusta and McCrory by two crayfish fishermen. The cause of death was asphyxiation.
She had been reported missing on March 15th by her
husband, Jim Ferguson, 41, who said she had gone
for a walk and not returned. Jim Ferguson was arrested in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on a capital murder
warrant. Ferguson had moved to the Missouri town
where he was working as a nursing home aide. He
was returned to Arkansas authorities and was charged
with capital murder. He has not yet been tried.
5/3, 5/5, 5/8: ADG
Center Ridge, May 10
Marvelle Howard, 75, was found dead on the
floor of her home by a mail carrier concerned about
the mail piling up. She had been shot two times in the
neck. Her husband, J.W. Howard, 65, was found
lying unresponsive in his bed. He was charged with
first-degree murder; bond was set at $250,000. According to authorities, J.W. Howard had a history of
mental problems but had not previously committed
any violent crimes. He was found unfit to stand trial
and as of April, 1997 was still in the State Hospital in
Little Rock.
5/10: ADG
DeWitt, May 11
Shirley Ferguson, 43, was shot and killed in her
home. Edwin L. Williams, 45, who lived with
Ferguson, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Ferguson had been arguing with him
before she was shot. He pleaded guilty to seconddegree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in
prison.
5/11: ADG
Fort Smith, May 29
Beverly Jo Wilson, 37, and her husband, Charles
Gus Wilson, 38, were killed at their home by Eddie
Gordon Jr., 47, who shot them with a .25-caliber
pistol. Gordon surrendered to police about an hour
after shooting his wife's sister and her husband. He
Page 8 • Transformation• Spring 1997
was charged with two counts of capital murder.
Gordon was listed on the arrest report as disabled
due to paranoid schizophrenia. He later commited
suicide in jail.
5/29: ADG
Pine Bluff, June 5
Alicestine Thomas Shavers, 52, was found shot
to death and her husband, Louis Shavers Sr., was
seriously wounded in their home. Her body was
found in the bedroom while her husband was found
in the front room with multiple wounds in the face,
chest and arm. Louis Shavers Sr. died from his injuries on June 19th. Louis Garret Shavers Jr., 26,
Alicestine' s stepson, was charged with two counts of
capital murder. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole for both capital
murder charges.
6/5, 7 /27, 3/19/97: ADG
Little Rock, June 6
LaShanda Jones, 21, was fatally shot by her estranged boyfriend, Emmanuel Maddox, 26, with a
.38-caliber revolver. Maddox forced his way into her
home, shot Jones twice, and then killed himself. The
couple, who had dated since Jones was in 10th grade,
had recently broken up and had been arguing.
6/6: ADG
Pulaski County, June 12
Anthony L. Bryant, 27, fatally shot his estranged
wife, Candida Bryant, 24, in the face with a handgun
and then killed himself as neighbors and Candida's
stepfather watched. Earlier that same day, Candida
had met with a sheriff's detective to discuss a restraining order against her husband. The couple
were getting a divorce and Anthony Bryant had
recently lost custody of their two children.
6/12: ADG
Washington, July 9
Ruth Evelyn Dotson, 34, died after being shot
once in the forehead with a .22-caliber revolver by
her live-in boyfriend, David J. Conway, 39. Law
enforcement officers had responded to reports of
domestic disputes between Dotson and Conway on
several occasions before the murder. Conway was
held without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He
pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and received 25
years in prison.
7 /5, 7 /9: ADG
Drasco, July 14
The badly decomposed bodies of Cathy Howard,
46, and her son, Miles Patrick Howard, 12, were
found by a hiker in a wooded area west of Drasco.
Both had been shot once in the head with a .22-caliber
pistol at close range. The Howards were from Orange Park, Fla.
Authorities looked for Julius Wayne Wade,55, on
warrants of two counts of capital murder and theft of
property. Wade told Howard that he was going to
buy a house near Drasco and give it to her and her
son. The Howards drove to Arkansas to see the
house. Officers found Wade at his daughter's house
in Florida. Wade was hiding in a crawlspace and shot
himself in the head while the police searched the
house. He later died from his self-inflicted wound.
7 /14, 7 /19-23: ADG
Menifee, July 27
Authorities found the body of Dorothy Maxine
Flakes, 63, in her bedroom. She had been shot once in
the head. The body of Deborah A. Yancey, 42, was
found in Flakes' driveway. Yancey had been shot in
her head and back. Yancey, of Nebraska, was the
girlfriend of Flakes' son, Larry, 46. His body was
found in an area near Dorothy Flakes' house.
Police believe that Larry Flakes was shot at a
house he rented across town and that his body was
dumped near his mother's home. The burned-out
shell of his vehicle was later found.
Four suspects have been arrested: Christopher
Brian Johnson, 22; Patrick Walker, 18; Ronita Faith
Bell, 19; and Gregory Allen Cook, 19, on three counts
each of being an accomplice to capital murder. They
are being held without bond. In an affidavit, Cook
Page 9 • Transformation• Spring 1997
said that he and Johnson agreed to rob Larry Flakes.
Investigators also believe that Cook was angry after
finding out about a sexual relationship between Bell
and Larry Flakes, and that Bell and Cook are members of Folks Disciples gang.
7 /27-29, 11/20, 11/22, 11/23: ADG
Menifee, July 27
The body of Deborah A. Yancey, 42, was found in
the driveway of Dorothy Flakes, who was found shot
to death in her bed inside the house. Johnson told
Bell that he had shot Yancey several times because
"she was trying to get away and I fell chasing her and
ruined my pants." Yancey had wounds in her head
and back. Yancey, of Nebraska, was the girlfriend of
Flakes' son, Larry, 46. His body was found in an area
near Dorothy Flakes' house. See entry for Dorothy
Flakes, July 27.
7 /27-29, 11/22, 11/23: ADG
Fort Smith, July 27
The bones of Lisa Ann Teague, 13, were found
May31;shehadbeenmissit"'1gsinceAugust1995. Her
body was found about two blocks from her home.
Authorities served Jonathan Keith Cole, 18, with a
first-degree murder warrant and a warrant for a rape
in another case. Cole has been in jail since June 2 for
two juvenile rapes that allegedly occurred between
1994 and 1996. Cole was an acquaintance of Teague.
Police do not believe that Teague was sexually assaulted; the cause of death is being withheld. Cole is
being held in lieu of more than $750,000bond and as
of April 1997 was still awaiting trial.
7 /27: ADG
Joplin, Mo. ,August 7
A body found July 31 under a viaduct east of
downtown Joplin, Mo. was identified as that of Cara
Wells, 17, of Rogers. She had been hit on the back of
her head with a blunt instrument. Wells had been
traveling by bus from Bentonville to Pontiac, Mich.
During a one-hour layover in Joplin, she left the bus
depot, returning to exchange her ticket for a bus that
departed six hours later. Witnesses report seeing her
return to the depot for her luggage shortly before the
later bus departed. Her body was found partially
clothed but no determination could be made about
sexual assault because the body was badly decomposed.
Timothy Cable, 29, was arrested in December and
charged with first-degree murder. He had caught
police attention by repeatedly bicycling through the
area where the body was found. At the time of the
murder, Cable had been living in an abandoned
concession stand in a Little League park near where
the body was found. His trial has been set for August
26, 1997.
8/7, 12/9, 3/23/97: ADG
Hot Springs, August 24
The live-in boyfriend of Tommie Vrzal, 54, apparently attacked her and beat her with his fists until she
fell into a coma. Kamrud Jacobson, 44, was later
found dead in the basement of the couple's residence
with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the abdomen.
Vrzal died from her injuries on September 9. The Hot
Springs Policeruled the double death a murder-suicide.
1/2/97: Sentinel Record
Horseshoe Lake, September 12
The bodies of Sally l\1cKay, 75, and her nephew,
Lee Baker, 53, were found in her burning home by
firefighters. Both had been shot to death before the
home was set on fire.
Travis Lewis, 16, was arrested and held without
bond on hvo capital murder charges. He was also
charged with one count of burglary. Lewis was a
student in an English class taught by Baker. Lewis'
grandparents rented their home from McKay. Lewis
was awaiting trial as of April 1997.
9/12-13/96, 11/10: ADG
Camden, September 29
The bodies of Vyesta Lewis, 67, and her husband,
Thomas Lewis, 75, were found in their home by one
of their daughters. The couple allegedly had been
stabbed to death by their son, Cedric Aaron Lewis,
34, of Pine Bluff, who was charged with two counts
Page 10 • Transformation• Spring 1997
of capital murder. He was held in the Ouachita
County jail and as of April 1997 was still awaiting
trial.
9/29-30: ADG
Stuttgart, October 8
The body of Debbie Halford, 37, was found by a
girl who was collecting bugs for a school project near
a county road four miles south of Stuttgart. Halford
had been missing since September 29 and was last
seen leaving her job at a convenience store. Stuttgart
police found evidence of a struggle and possible
abduction when they searched her apartment.
Halford's body was taken to the state medical
examiner's office for autopsy which revealed that
she died of head trauma. No suspects have been
identified.
10/8,10/10: ADG
Malvern, October 11
The bodies of Veronica Haymon Smith, 37, and
Amos Smith, 75, were found shot to death at Amos
Smith's mobile home. Both victims were struck with
one round each in the head.
No arrests have been made. The two Smiths were
unrelated acquaintances.
10/11:ADG
Seligman, Mo., October 12
The body of Robin Kell, 25, of Centerton, was
found in the Mark Twain National Forest by tourists.
She had been beaten, strangled and run over by a
vehicle.
Kell's attorney, Brenda Austin of Fayetteville,
reported that Kell said someone was out to get her.
Before her death, Kell lived at the Salvation Army
shelter and at the homes of friends as she was recently separated and hoping to get custody of her
children.
Billy Joe Draper, 38, was arrested on November
29th in Nashville, Tennessee, and charged with firstdegree murder. He had met Kell at the Salvation
Army shelter.
10/12, 10/16, 12/5, 12/6: ADG
North Little Rock, October 22
The body of Nadine Hubbard, 48, was found in
the back yard of a house about two blocks from
where she lived. She appeared to have been beaten
on the head. The victim's body was sent to the state
Crime Laboratory for autopsy.
North Little Rock police charged Edward Leaks
Jr., 26, with capital murder after some of Hubbard's
belongings were found in his house. He was held
without bond and as of April 1997 was still awaiting
trial.
10/22:ADG
North Little Rock, November 19
Linda Adams, 48, died October 13th but her death
is now being investigated as a homicide after the
autopsy report showed that she was strangled.
Adams' boyfriend, Clarence Williams, 38, told police
thatheandAdams'roommate,JohnHarris,45,found
her unconscious on the floor of a bedroom. Emergency room personnel told police at the time that
they thought Adams was intoxicated and had suffocated on her own vomit. There are no suspects in
custody.
11/19: ADG
Hot Springs, November 24
The body of Cynthia Dawn Rollans, 22, was
discovered by her live-in boyfriend, Michael J. Chancellor, 28, on the floor of her kitchen. She had numerous stab wounds to her chest. Chancellor told the
police that he found her and reported the situation as
a suicide attempt. No arrests have been made.
11/23, 11/25, 11/27, 12/4: ADG, Sentinel Record
Blue Mountain, November 28
The bodies of Shirley Heslip, 46, and her hus-
band, Bruce Heslip, 51, were found November 8th in
the living room of their home by their nephews, who
had come to Logan County to hunt deer. The autopsy
report showed both died from a single gunshot wound
to the head. A .357-caliber revolver was found near
the bodies. The medical examiner ruled that Bruce
Heslip' s death was a suicide and Shirley Heslip' s
Page 11 • Transformation• Spring 1997
death was a homicide. There was no suicide note.
11/28: ADC
Paragould,November 29
After receiving a tip, police found the body of
Patricia Spring Palmer, 19, in her apartment. She
had been shot several times.
Earlier in the day, GaryGlover,46, suffered ahead
wound when he tried to kill himself with a .22caliber, semi-automatic pistol at a service station.
Glover was Palmer's father-in-law and the two may
have had a dispute over custody of a child. When
word of the service station shooting spread, police
got calls from people concerned about Palmer's safety.
When a detective went to her house, there was no
response; the detective found Palmer's body just
inside the door.
Glover died from his self-inflicted gunshot wound
several days later. Authorities ruled the double
death a murder-suicide.
11/29: ADC
England, December12
Zena Petty, 80, was found dead in her home by a
friend. Ms. Petty's throat had been slashed and she
had been sexually assaulted and robbed.
Jason Neal Gates, 20, who had done lawn work for
her in the summers, was arrested on a capital murder
charge and is being held in Lonoke County.
12/12: ADC
Widener, December18
The fully clothed body of Rose Marie Arnett, 41,
was found December 15th, dumped at the Widener
entrance ramp on I-40. Kenneth Lee Knight, 37, of
Brooklyn, Mississippi was arrested in the murder
and held on $100,000 bond. Authorities said that
Knight picked up Arnett at truck stop in West Memphis and after an argument, strangled her.
12/18, 1/3/97, 1/30/97: ADC
Osceola,December21
The body of Ozella McFarland, 74, was found in
a canal near Osceola. Her adopted son, Calvin Davis,
23, was charged with capital murder and was still
awaiting trial as of April 1997.
12/21: ADC
St. James,December25
Carol Turner,40, and her husband, Darrell Turner,
46, were shot to death by their son-in-law, Brian
Keith Bangs, 29, who then abducted, raped and beat
his estranged wife, Jennifer, 19. The Turners' two
younger daughters and the Bangs' 10-month old
child were home at the time of the murders and
kidnapping, but were unharmed. There were several reports of domestic abuse involving the Bangses
before the shootings.
Brian Bangs had a 1991 conviction for kidnapping
and rape and has served time in prison. He is charged
with two counts of capital murder, and single counts
of rape, kidnapping, first-degree battery, and theft.
He is being held without bond.
12/24, 12/25: ADC
RACIST
VIOLENCE
Little Rock, March 20
A graduate of Mountain Home High School discussed racial harassment she experienced as a student at the school. The setting for the discussion was
the Oprah Winfrey television show, March 19. Kelly
Batton's mother is white and her father is AfricanAmerican. Her parents divorced when she was in the
sixth grade and she moved to Mountain Home with
her mother and brother. Batton said that she was
constantly the victim of name-calling, vandalism
and threats while at school. She said that school
officials did little about the complaints filed by Batton
and her brother.
School officials said that they responded to her
complaints. Workshops were held for teachers and
tolerance classes for students were added to the
curriculum.
3/20: ADC
Page 12 • Transformation• Spring 1997
Camden, July 28
The New Calvary Church of God in Christ
was destroyed by fire. According to investigators for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the fire was started by a human. Officials
with the FBI and the Arkansas State Police also
investigated the fire.
The church has a predominately African-American congregation. This was the first suspicious fire
reported at a predominantly black church in Arkansas since 1995.
7/28-30: ADG
Fort Smith, September 14
The body of Pane Sayakhoummane, 51, of Fort
Smith, was found hear the Robert S. Kerr Lock and
Dam, eight miles south of Muldrow, Okla. His body
was in the bed of his pickup, which was partially
submerged in the Arkansas River. Sayakhoummane' s
body was riddled with 41 bullets in the face and
chest.
He had been fishing at the lock and dam, which
the Fort Smith Laotian community considered a bad
place because of incidents between Asians and whites
there over the years.
Two ministers, Rev. Billy Amonsin and Rev.
Vathana Sinbandhit, who are leaders in Fort Smith's
Laotian community thought that the slaying was not
racially motivated. Others in the Laotian community
were upset by the degree of violence in Sayakhoummane' s murder.
Donald Ray Wackerly, 27, of Muldrow, Okla., was
arrested on charges of first-degree murder and firstdegree robbery. His wife, Michelle Wackerly, testified that she was present when her husband shot and
robbed Sayakhoummane. Donald Wackerly is being
held without bond in the Sequoyah County jail.
9/14, 2/15/97: ADG
Little Rock, October 28
Kevin Anglin, 34, was severely beaten outside the
Discovery Club by ~ group of men. Anglin was
attacked after he asked the four or five men to stop
yelling anti-immigrant obscenities at several indi-
viduals. The attackers fled in a white Honda Accord
and a blue Mazda 626.
Witnesses gave police the names of two of the
alleged attackers. They reported that the men were
white. Anglin was taken by ambulance to Doctors
Hospital.
10/28:ADG
Little Rock, November 2
John Walker, an attorney for black families in the
Pulaski County school desegregation lawsuit, asked
a federal judge to investigate complaints of discrimination at Robinson High School. Walker said in the
motion filed with U.S. District Judge Susan Webber
Wright's court, that he has received complaints from
students, teachers, and parents about unfair and
unequal treatment at the school. Most of the complaints involve Principal Ralph Hoffman: disproportionate numbers of African-American students
are suspended from school for petty reasons and for
lengthy periods, a basketball coach was suspended
when he objected to rebuilding the team so that it
would be a majority-white team, and courses that
enable low income students to work and attend
school at the same time were eliminated. Walker
asked Wright to direct the federal Office of Desegregation Monitoring to investigate the allegations.
Top-level administrators in the Pulaski County
Special School District investigated the complaints
by interviewing Robinson staff, students, parents,
and principal Hoffman. The investigators found that
Hoffman routinely called black male students "boy"
or "son", told a coach that he wanted more white
males on the basketball team so the team would
reflect the majority-white makeup of the school, and
that black students were more likely than white to be
sent home or placed on disciplinary probation for
wearing clothes that administrators believed signified gang membership. Hoffman acknowledged to
the investigators that he once told a coach: "I'm tired
of seeing those g******
black boys out on the basketball court shucking and jiving."
10/10, 11/2, 11/14, 11/21: Arkansas State Press,
ADG
Page 13 • Transformation• Spring 1997
Little Rock, November 23
Zandra Brown and Denise Henderson filed a lawsuit in federal court contending that they were denied their constitutional rights and were assaulted in
a November 1995 incident at Denny's on South University Avenue. The women said a restaurant supervisor ordered them to pay their bill even though they
hadn't eaten their food after they complained about
a waitress's "rather derogatory and abusive" attitude. The supervisor and three police officers then
asked them to leave. The women said a security
guard followed them outside. He approached them
as they sat in their car, questioned them, told them
that he was "tired of n---",
and then sprayed a
can of Mace or pepper spray into their car.
11/23: ADG
Hot Springs, December3
Marc Carl Morales, 28, was charged with seconddegree battery, criminal mischief, resisting arrest,
public intoxication, and disorderly conduct for his
partininstigatingafightatShape'sNightclub.
Itwas
reported that Morales allegedly yelled racial slurs at
two black men who had entered the club. A fight
ensued during which Morales reportedly punched
one man in the head, struck another man in the jaw
and hit him over the head with a pool cue. When
officers confronted Morales, he pushed them away,
punched, and yelled obscenities.
12/3: Sentinel Record
VIOLENCE
AGAINST
LESBIANS,
GAYMEN,BISEXUALS
AND
TRANSGENDERED
PEOPLE
Little Rock,June 14
A Little Rock man, 39, told police that two men
raped him about 8:30 p.m. in Boyle Park. The man
told officers that the two grabbed him from behind
and threatened to kill him. When he told themhehad
no money, they told him that that wasn't what they
wanted. The men then forced him to the ground and
raped him, he reported. The attackers were described
as white men, both in their early 30s.
6/14:ADG
Little Rock,August 8
Derrick Dewayne Cohens was accosted at a local
club by a security guard who wanted to check his
hand stamp. Cohens who was not yet 21, offered to
leave the club. The security guard tore Cohens' collar, threw him against a rail, body pressed him, and
then shoved him down a flight of stairs while calling
him anti-gay obscenities.
Victim statement
Little Rock, November 3
The naked body of James Ray Boone, 45, was
found in his bed. He had been shot at least three times
in the neck, chest and right thigh, police said. Mitchell
Lee Oxford, 32, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge and held on a $250,000 bond in the slaying. Oxford, a state Department of Correction employee, was also charged with aggravated assault in
the beating of James Kelley, 32, who had been struck
several times in the head and mouth. Police said that
after shooting Boone and beating Kelley, Oxford
forced Kelley to drive him to the Arkansas State
Hospital. Oxford confessed to the slaying to an employee of the State Hospital and asked to see a doctor.
Police found his service revolver and a hammer in
the car. He later told investigators that Boone was his
ex-lover. Oxford has pleaded innocent to the charge.
11/3, 11/6: ADG
Fayetteville,November 14
The body of Alan Fitzgerald Walker, a 31-year-old
African-American man, was found by police after a
worried neighbor reported he had not been seen for
several days. Walker's station wagon was parked in
front of his duplex with its two front tires slashed.
Police found his body at the foot of the bed in his
bedroom, nude except for silver high heels and a wig.
He had been shot in the head, bludgeoned and pos-
Page 14 • Transformation • Spring 1997
sibly strangled. The letters "KKK" had been scrawled
on the wall with Walker's blood.
Walker had last been seen by two other patrons
talking to two men outside a local club early Saturday morning. Walker occasionally performed as a
female impersonator at the club and was in drag.
Later the two patrons saw the same two men in a
truck following Walker. The patrons followed and
got the truck's license plate before losing sight of it.
Yitzhak Abba Marta, 21, a native of Mexico, and
Adam David Blackford, 22, were charged with capital murder and held on $250,000bond. The truck was
registered to Blackford, police said. Police searched
Marta's home and found a steak knife hidden in a floor
vent and a pile ofburned clothes.A bag of makeup, letters,
clothes, and bedding were also seized.
Blackford was found guilty of first-degree murder and was recommended to receive 30 years in
prison. Formal sentencing will be later in April 1997.
Marta has yet to stand trial.
11/13, 11/14, 11/16, 11/21, 12/9, 4/5/97: Morning News, Northwest Arkansas Times, Ozark Gazette,
ADC
Fayetteville,December2
While waiting to eat lunch at the Hogwash Laundry, William Wagner, 16, and some of his friends
were waylaid by two vehicles full of 6-8 young men,
two of whom Wagner recognized. Separating him
from his friends, they began attacking Wagner, calling him homophobic names, and yelling, "this is
whatyoudeserve." William, who is in the 10th grade
at Fayetteville High School, sustained a broken nose,
bruised kidney, several hematomas, contusions on
his back where he was kicked by his cowboy bootwearing assailants, and scrapes on his knees. His
mother said he may have to undergo surgery to
repair some facial bones.
There were 6 eyewitnesses who state that the
assault was unprovoked.
Bradley Huford, 17, and Jerry Lynge, 16, two
students at the high school, were arrested on suspicion of second-degree battery. The 4th Judicial District Prosecutor's Office filed felonies against the
pair, charging them as adults in Washington County
Circuit Court. They are being held on $5,000 bond.
Trial was scheduled for March, 1997 but was postponed when the Circuit Court judge granted a motion to transfer the case to juvenile court. The motion
was filed because prosecution of the adult felony
charge required that any injuries sustained in the
attack result in permanent damage, loss of function
or disfigurement. Charged as adult, Hufford and
Lynge each could have been sentenced to six years in
prison and fined $10,000 if convicted of the battery
charge. If convicted of the same charge in juvenile
court, a probation officer will recommend alternative sentences which could include community service or commitment to the county juvenile jail.
12/3, 12/5, 12/6, 12/7, 12/9, 12/15, 3/25/97:
Northwest Arkansa,s Times, Ozark Gazette, Gay and
LesbianCommunity reports,victim's statement, ADC
Fayetteville,December5
A concerned lesbian mother went to a counselor at
Woodland Junior High about her daughter who is being
harassed because of her mother's sexual orientation.
Danielle (a pseudonym), a 12-year-old, 7th grade
Woodland Junior High student told of the constant
verbal harassment (cursing, vile names and insults)
that she gets daily at school due to the fact that her
parents are lesbians. Ironically, Danielle's mother
was harassed 30 years ago in the same school when
she refused to hide her sexual orientation.
The counselor's response was to spend a half hour
talking about all the "bad" lesbian mothers, naming
names and children's problems.
•
12/5, 12/7, 12/9: Ozark Gazette,Northwest Arkansas Times, Gay and LesbianCommunity reports
Climateof Intolerance
Towards
Lesbians,
GayMen,Bisexuals
andTransgendered
People
Little Rock,November 16
Legislators pre-filed six bills on November 15th,
Page 15 • Transformation• Spring 1997
Property of the Center
the first day bills could be submitted for consideration when the General Assembly meets January
13th. One bill defines marriage as only between a
man and a woman and refuses recognition of samesex marriages. Rep. Doug Kidd (D-Benton), lead
sponsor of the bill, said he introduced it because of
constituent calls after President Clinton signed the
Defense of Marriage Act in September. Kidd said the
federal act "left it up to the states" on whether to
recognize same-sex marriages. "People said they
didn't want this here. I agreed with them and I told
them I'd try to do something," Kidd said. He said
that he knew of no instances where same-sex couples
had tried to get married or to be recognized as
married.
11/16: ADG
Little Rock, December13
In the last month, about 10 families have pulled
their children from preschool classes at west Little
Rock's Second Presbyterian Church over moral objections to a multi-faith worship service for gays and
lesbians (heterosexuals welcome, too) at the church
on October 29th. None of the families who left were
members of the congregation, pastor William Poe
said.
Poe says 250-300 people attended the service,
which was developed after a year of planning by a
multi-faith group of Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Episcopalian, United Methodist, Unitarian Universalist, Temple B'Nai Israel and Metropolitan Community Church leaders."The purpose of the service
was to demonstrate a welcomeness to all people ...,"
Poe said.
12/13: ADG
anti-Semitic poem that contained death threats. The
poem was titled "Hey Jew." According to the school
principal, a male student typed the poem on a school
computer and distributed five copies on March 27.
Another male student gave a copy of the poem to a
female student whose father is Jewish. A police report was filed with a copy of the poem. School
officials said that harassing communications usually
are punishable by 10-day suspensions.
4/5: ADG
HATE
GROUP
ACTIVITY
In this section we document the activities of white
supremacist gro,ups as well as individuals and groups
whose message is racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, antiCatholic or anti-gay.
Rogers,February14
A cross 4 feet tall was burned in the yard of a
family who had not received any threats. The motive
for the cross-burning was not known. The family
occupying the home have names that appear Hispanic.
2/14: Daily Record
Alpena, March 13
Mayor Bobbi Bailey received complaints from
residents about the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan's
presence at a flea market operated by the Alpena
Merchants Association. Residents told Mayor Bailey
that the Klan's presence was offensive to them and
that Klan representatives had tried to force literature
on them.
During the weekend of February 23 through 25,
Klan representatives set up tables to display T-shirts,
caps, audio tapes and literature. A sign and a flag
were displayed. Mayor Bailey talked to the Klan
representatives at the booth and informed them of
the complaints about their presence. The KKK sign
was taken down.
Several hours later, Thom Robb, national director,
RELIGIOUS
MINORITY
VIOLENCE
Little Rock, April 5
According to police, two students were suspended
at Forest Heights Junior High in connection with an
Page 16 • Transformation • Spring 1997
and another man went to Mayor Bailey's house and
told her that if they were not allowed a booth at the
flea market, they would set up their display at the
town pavilion that is next to the Community Center.
Flea market rules state that there is to be no
advertising at the booths and that renters cannot
cause any disruption at the flea market. The Klan was
informed that they could have a booth if no sign was
used and there were "no problems."
3/13, 4/10: Times-Echo; Gravette News Herald
Mountain Home, March 26
The Ku Klux Klan notified officials of the group's
intention to meet on the steps of the Baxter County
Courthouse in Mountain Home on June 22. Thom
Robb said that rally sites are chosen in areas where
the local membership can support the cost of the
rally. He said that the selection of Mountain Home
for the rally had no relationship to the recent allegations of racism in Mountain Home High School by a
graduate who has a white mother and an AfricanAmerican father.
Approximately 300 people attended the rally although it was estimated that 50% of the attendees
were members of the news media.
3 /26-28, 6 /23: Baxter Bulletin, Daily Record, Evening
Times, Northwest Arkansas Times, Pine Bluff Commercial, Texarkansa Gazette, Sun, Mountain Echo, ADG
Arkadelphia, April 4
The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan planned a rally
at the Clark County Courthouse on May 11 from 4:30
to 7:30 P.M. Thom Robb notified city and county
officials by fax and told the authorities that he wants
the Klan to occupy the main entrance of the courthouse including all the front steps extending from
the bottom at least 10 feet.
According to Robb, 10-20 Klan participants would
attend. Klan literature would be distributed and
Klan items (t-shirts, caps, etc.) would be sold. The
Klan also planned to have political speeches and play
music on a public address system. Rachel Pendergraft,
of the Grand Council, said that membership and
financial support are strong in Clark County.
Approximately 20-30 people attended the rally
and were present when Robb addressed the group.
Another 100 people protested the Klan's presence
and departed before Robb spoke.
4/ 4: Daily Siftings Herald
Gravette, April 10
The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan set up a booth at
a flea market in Alpena to sell t-shirts, caps, and other
merchandise as well as to distribute literature. Residents have complained about the Klan's presence.
4/10: Gravette News Herald
St. Louis, Mo., August 22
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rendered its
opinion that Ralph Forbes, a former American Nazi
Party member from London, Ark., was wrongly excluded from a 1992 congressional debate hosted by
the Arkansas Educational Television Network in
1992.The three-judge panel also suggested that Forbes
should be compensated for the discrimination.
Only the Democratic and Republican candidates,
John Van Winkle and Tim Hutchinson, respectively,
were allowed to participate. Forbes ran as an independent candidate. At the time, station officials
considered Forbes a" fringe candidate" in the race for
the Arkansas 3rd Congressional District seat.
The case was sent back to the U.S. District Court in
Fort Smith for a jury-determination of damages. On
March 17, 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to
hear the case. The case, said AETN, "presents a
fundamental challenge to the freedom of the press of
every state public broadcasting network and every
public television and radio station licensed to a state
university, community college, or school board."
The U.S. Supreme Court decision is expected sometime in 1998.
8/22, 3/18/97: ADG
Harrison, August 26-Agust 30
The 1996 Christian Leadership School was held at
the Soldiers of the Cross Bible Camp the week before
the National Klan Congress, as reported by the White
Patriot. The school is sponsored by the Church of
Page 17 • Transformation• Spring 1997
Jesus Christ and administered by Thom Robb, national director of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
The week-long school included study of the philosophy of Christian leadership, propaganda (what it is
and how to use it), Biblical foundation for racial
separation, and goal setting for Christian leadership.
The school is open to white Christians; Klan membership is not a requirement. Young people, especially
those in high school or preparing to attend college,
are encouraged to attend.
Harrison,August 30-September1
According to the White Patriot,the Knights of the
Ku Klux Klan held its annual National Klan Congress at the Soldiers of the Cross Bible Camp, east of
Harrison. This congress marked the 40th anniversary of the Knights of the KKK. The special speaker
was Daniel Johnson of Los Angeles who serves as
legal counsel for the Knights. He spoke about creating white consciousness in a hostile world.
Tilly, December12
The bodies of Nancy Mueller, 28, her husband
William Mueller, 52, and her daughter Sarah Elizabeth Powell, 8, were identified. Their bodies were
found June 28th and 29th in Illinois Bayou about 1
mile north of Russellville. Their bodies had been
bound with duct tape; plastic bags had been placed
over their heads. It appeared that the Mueller family
had been abducted inJ anuary and killed on their way
to a gun show. William Mueller was a gun dealer and
was reputed to have ties to the militia movement.
Sean Michael Haines, 19, was arrested while traveling through South Dakota and charged with two
counts of grand theft. He had two guns including a
semi-automatic rifle belonging to William Mueller in
his possession. White supremacist literature was also
found in his vehicle, as well as plastic bands, rope,
duct tape, and a law enforcement-type badge, and he
has acknowledged being a white supremacist. He is
reputed to be the youth leader of the Aryan Nation
group in Spokane and has also been mentioned as a
leader of the Spokane skinhead group, Blood and
Honor. Haines is not a suspect in the Mueller slayings.
He is currently free on bond while awaiting trial in
South Dakota.
Authorities are also seeking Chevie Kehoe, 24, a
member of the white supremacist group, Aryan Nations, who has been indicted by a federal grand jury
in Spokane, Washington on three firearms violations. He is accused of possessing a pistol and rifle
stolen from William Mueller. Kehoe and his brother,
Cheyne Kehoe, 20, are sought in relation to a nationally televised shootout with Ohio police officers on
February 15, 1997. The Kehoes are from Colville in
eastern Washington; Sean Michael Haines is also
from eastern Washington. Arkansas State Police consider Chevie Kehoe a suspect in a 1995burglary of the
Mueller home.
12/12, 12/14, 12/18, 2/18/97, 2/19 /97, 2/20/97,
2/22/97,2/26/97,2/27/97,3/l/97,3/2/97,3/8/
97, 3/12/97: ADG
Fort Smith, December29
Six suspected followers of the evangelist Tony
Alamo were alleged to have beaten a restaurant
owner and his son who were trying to stop them from
leaving pamphlets on customers' cars. JerryGardner,
50, and his son, Jeremy, 18, called the police after
seeing two white men place Alamo pamphlets on the
windshields of customers' cars. As they waited for
the police, they were attacked from behind by several
other white males. Gardner said all six were clean cut
and between the ages of 18 and 35. No arrests have
been made.
1/1/97: ADG
POLICE
BRUTALITY
Pine Bluff, February22
Debra Langford filed suit in federal court against
the Pine Bluff Police Department, the city of Pine
Bluff and the Civil Service Commission. Langford
said that Officer Markham Bunn fondled her while
investigating a robbery. The city and the Civil Service
Page 18 • Transformation• Spring 1997
Commission were named in the suit for failure to hire
a competent police officer.
According to Langford, she was robbed while
leaving the store where she was employed. Langford
said that when Officer Bunn arrived on the scene, he
told her to go into the bathroom and take off her
clothes so that he could search her. The suit claims
that Bunn "engaged in lewd, offensive touching and
fondling." Langford also said that Bunn made statements that were derogatory, embarrassing and explicit.
Officer Bunn resigned before police could conduct an internal investigation.
2/22: ADG
Springdale,March 29
Paula S. Martin of Delaware County, Okla., filed
suit against the city of Gravette and three police
officers for allegedly using excessive force when she
was arrested. Martin claims that Jeffrey Michael
Hendren physically attacked her while she was attending traffic court in Gravette on December 28,
1995.She claims that Hendren struck her in the head
with his elbow, grabbed her hair and threw her to the
floor, violently pulled her arms behind her, handcuffed her and then placed his foot on her head before
he picked her up by the hair and handcuffs.
According to the suit, Hendren had not yet attended the Arkansas Police Academy and that officers Terry M. Luker and John R. Gibbs were present at
the time and failed to properly supervise and train
Hendren or intercede on Martin's behalf. The city
was sued for failing to properly train its police officers. Martin is seeking $100,000in compensatory damages and the same amount for punitive damages.
3/29, 4/17: The Morning News of Northwest Arlcansas;GravetteNews Herald
Little Rock, April 13
Two prison guards were indicted by a federal
grand jury. Sgt. Billy Joe Clark of the Brickeys Unit
was accused of beating an inmate on February 13,
1995.Jack Pierce of the Cummins Unit was accused of
abusing an inmate on February 1, 1994. Both men
were placed on leave with pay while the state investigates the charges.
4/13: ADG
Little Rock, May 14
Raymond Nelson, 31, filed a complaint against
Little Rock police officer Thomas Thompson for allegedly hitting Nelson several times and against Sgt.
Timothy Calhoun and Officer Brent Stewart, who
helped pin Nelson to the ground.
Thompson stopped Nelson after seeing his car
run a stop sign. According to Nelson, Thompson
sprayed pepper spray in Nelson's mouth and beat
him in the face while trying to get Nelson into the
patrol car. Nelson said that Thompson picked him
up and "kneed him in the groin three or four times."
Thompson reported that Nelson's car showed
signs that it might have been stolen. When Nelson
tried to flee, Thompson grabbed him and Nelson
swung his arm at Thompson. According to Nelson,
Sgt. Calhoun hit Nelson in the neck three or four
times with a flashlight because he thought that Nelson
might have a weapon.
Nelson was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and fleeing. He was cited for driving
an unsafe vehicle, running a stop sign, driving with
an obstructed view, driving with a suspended driver's
license and driving with a fraudulent driver's license. Officials of Little Rock's Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now posted a
$6,000 bond for Nelson's release.
5/14:ADG
Little Rock,June 8
Leonard Boyle filed a federal lawsuit against
Pulaski County Sheriff Randy Johnson, Pulaski
County Judge Buddy Villines and five employees of
the Pulaski County Jail.
According to Boyle, he was denied his prescription medication for four days in February while he
was held at the Pulaski County Jail. He also said that
he was treated roughly when he was put in a wheelchair. Boyle charged that the Pulaski County Municipal Court does not comply with the federal Ameri-
Page 19 • Transformation• Spring 1997
cans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with respect to
accessible parking, accessible restrooms and other
access barriers.
6/8: ADG
Jonesboro,August 6
A group of 50 protesters marched from the St.
Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church to the
Jonesboro Courts, Offices and Police complex to call
attention to activities they view as police brutality
aimed at blacks.
On August 1, Jonesboro Police conducted a drug
bust at an apartment complex. Marcus Brown, 17,
fled the scene and was apprehended. A scuffle ensued after which Brown collapsed. When Brown
asked the officers for water, he was taken to a nearby
apartment where he passed out.
X-rays taken at a regional medical center revealed
that Brown had a small plastic bag of crack cocaine
inside his lung. He apparently tried to swallow the
bag but instead inhaled it.
The protesters claimed that Brown was beaten
because he is black. One group member said that
witnesses reported seeing police beat Brown during
the drug bust.
Assistant Police Chief Jack McCann stated that
Brown was not beaten.
8/6: ADG
An investigation showed that the police officers
acted appropriately. However, the Williams family
alleges police used excessive force in the shooting in
which Kevin was shot 16 times and Sims was shot
twice. Sims has since filed a lawsuit against the
police.
In response to the shooting, there have been community meetings to demonstrate opposition to the
police's action and calls for a citizen's review board.
The Little Rock Board of Directors refused to consider a review board and the Legislature failed to
pass bills to allow the city to create such a panel. On
March 25, 1997, the Board of Directors informally
adopted initiatives to improve relations between the
African-American community and police. The initiatives are: (1) to expand the authority of the Civil
Service Commission to hear complaints; (2) to explore forming a police accountability committee; (3)
to add audio-visual equipment to patrol cars; (4) to
move and expand the internal affairs division; (5) to
continue the community-oriented police patrol program; and (6) to expand the citizens police academy.
12/8-10, 12/15-17, 12/22-24, 12/26, 12/28, 4/9 I
97: ADG
MURDERS
OFYOUTH
(20 years of age and younger)
Little Rock, December8
Kevin Williams, 25, was fatally shot by police
officers as he held his girlfriend, Wanda Michella
Sims, 26, at gunpoint. Sims' 6-year-old son called
911, which brought the police to the apartment during the domestic dispute. The five officers kicked in
the apartment door and found Sims sitting on Williams' lap on a couch. Williams was holding a revolver to her head and had threatened to shoot her.
When Sims struggled to get away from Williams,
he pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger. An
officer fired a single shot that hit Williams, who
turned and pointed the gun at police. Williams' gun
misfired and the five officers opened fire on Williams, hitting him 16 times.
Thirty-seven murders of youth were logged in
two categories: child abuse by caregivers and murders resulting from street violence. Five children
died as a result of abuse or neglect while in the
presence of a caregiver. Thirty-two youth (up to age
20) were murdered as a result of street violence;
handguns were the cause in most of these deaths.
Children
WhoseDeathsWereRelatedto
Abuse,NeglectorNegligence
Montrose,January10
Erica Renee Barbee, 1 month, was killed when she
was thrown from the vehicle in which she was riding
Page 20 • Transformation • Spring 1997
after it was struck by a truck driven by her father,
Shawn Barbee. He was chasing the vehicle driven by
her mother, Monica Wilson, following a domestic
dispute. See entry for Monica Wilson.
1/10: ADG
Fort Smith, February13
Ollie Efurd, 9 months, died February 12th from
head injuries received February 9th. Her parents,
James Randall Efurd, 17, and Alisa Danie al Efurd, 20,
were charged with first-degree murder, as well as
possession of methamphetamine and possession of
drug paraphernalia. Both were held on $150,000
bond. Ollie suffered a fractured skull, a blood clot on
the brain, bruises on the head and face as well as scars,
scratches and bruises on other parts of her body.
Both parents pleaded not guilty to the charges.
James Efurd was found guilty of first-degree murder
and was sentenced to life in prison. Alisa Efurd faces
a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted of murder. Alisa Efurd' s request for reduction
in bond was denied by Circuit Judge Don Langston.
In 1995, Alisa Efurd reported to Van Buren police
that her husband had abused their daughter while
they lived in Van Buren. A detective's report indicated tha tthere were bruises and possible bum mar ks
on the infant's face, head, legs, arms, chest, back and
buttocks. The case was turned over to the Arkansas
Department of Human Services. DHS worked on the
case but lost track of the couple because they moved
three times in two months.
2/13, 2/15, 2/22, 3/8, 3/11/97, 3/13/97: ADG;
Southwest Times Record
Lepanto,July 2
Dominique Bitner, 4-1 /2 months, died after allegedly being shaken by her father, Douglas E. Bitner,
29. Bitner was charged with first-degree murder and
was held on $100,000 bond.
sent to the state Crime Laboratory for autopsy. The
boy was the second child to die in the care of the boy's
16-year-old mother.
7/9:ADG
Fayetteville,July 20
The death of Tara Martindale Piazza, 5, of Canehill
is being investigated. Tara died of head injuries and
her body showed scattered bruises. The girl's stepfather told authorities that she had had a seizure and as
he carried her into the bathroom, she accidentally fell
into a bathtub. Authorities allege that Tara died of
"shaken-slammed syndrome," that she was shaken
so violently that her head slammed against a hard,
flat surface, not a curved one like a bathtub. Joseph
Michael Piazza, 31, pleaded innocent to manslaughter. He is free on $50,000 bond.
7 /20, 12/7: ADG
YouthMurdered
asa Resultof
StreetViolence
Blytheville,January31
Jimmy Wilkerson, 15, was shot in the driveway of
his home allegedly by Rufus Toliver, 61, who lives
across the street from the youth. The two had apparently had an argument. Toliver was charged with
second-degree murder.
1/31: ADG
Little Rock, February2
Bobby Bobros, 19, died from a single wound in the
back from a .22-caliber handgun. A 15-year-old male
told police that he and Bobros were walking in an
alley in North Little Rock when Bobros accidentally
shot himself while playing with the gun. Police found
the gun in a search of the 15-year-old' s home.
2/7: ADG
7/2:ADG
Magnolia,July 9
Authorities are investigating the death of a 2month-old boy as a possible homicide. The body was
Little Rock,February21
Shedrick Sabb Jr.,18, was shot to death while
riding in a car on Interstate 30. The shooting resulted
from an argument at the Club Cameo in North Little
Page 21 • Transformation • Spring 1997
Rock between Sabb and another man over Sabb' s
talking to a girl in a rival gang.
Emanuel Lee Hart, 24, was arrested on a charge of
first-degree murder. Hart was a friend of the man
who argued with Sabb. Hart followed the vehicle in
which Sabb left the club and allegedly fired at least
three times at the vehicle with a semi-automatic
pistol. Sabb was hit in the back.
2/21:ADG
Wynne, March 6
Robert Smith, 15, died from a .38-caliber handgun
wound to the chest. Ricky Scott, 34, was arrested on
a charge of capital murder. Bond was set at $250,000.
Scott had argued earlier in the day with Smith's
aunt, Lavena Price, who was Scott's ex-girlfriend. He
later returned to the area and hid behind the house
next door to Smith's residence. When Smith and
some friends left the house, Scott allegedly shot
Smith once in the chest.
3/6: 3/8: ADG; Wynne Progress
Parkin, March 12
Danny Mason, 17, was shot to death with a .380caliber gun. Latius Tirrell Brown, 22, was arrested
and charged with capital murder. There had been an
ongoing feud between the two men. Mason and a
friend followed Brown in a car. When Brown stopped
and got out of his car, Mason got out of his car and
walked toward Brown. Brown allegedly fired three
shots at Mason.
3/12: ADG
Monticello, March 27
The body of Gregory Rashawn Stepps, 17, was
found in a ditch in Drew County. Stepps had been
shot four times-twice in the head and twice in the
body with a .22 caliber weapon.
Darryl Hussey, 25, of Dermott, and Larry Bealer,
20, of Montrose, were charged with capital murder.
They were held without bond. Sheriff Tommy Free
said he believes that Stepps had gained access to one
of the weapons used in a Monticello robbery in
February. His theory is that Stepps was killed to keep
him from linking Hussey' s brother to that gun. Stepps,
Hussey, and Bealer were reputedly all members of a
gang.
3/27,3/29, 3/31, 4/3: Advance Monticellian; ADG
Siloam Springs, March 31
William Andrew Futrelle II, 16, of Boca Raton,
Fla., was found dead at the Mountain Park Baptist
Academy in Patterson, Mo. Futrelle was beaten and
his throat was slashed. Authorities found a four-inch
lock blade knife, a wooden club and a brick near
Futrelle's body. Preliminary reports indicated that
the slash wound to the throat caused Futrelle' s death.
Anthony Gene Rutherford, 18, was charged with
first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Two
other students at the school were held. Rutherford is
the son of Benton County Judge Bruce Rutherford.
Rutherford will be tried in Rolla, Mo.
According to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
(Florida), Futrelle's parents were told by school officials that the classmates planned Futrelle's murder
because he told the school of a plot to harm a preacher
and his family.
3/29, 3/31, 7 /27: The Morning News of Northwest
Arkansas; Daily Record; Herald Leader; ADG
Hot Springs, April 21
Andrew Jamerson, 17, was killed in a gang-related shootout in front of the old Jones School. He
was an innocent bystander. Hot Springs Police initially arrested three suspects but eventually Larricke
Jimerson, 22, was charged and convicted of seconddegree murder and second-degree battery. He was
sentenced to 26 years in prison.
1/2/97: Sentinel Record
Hot Springs, May 6
DustonFoster,18,ofRoyalwaskilledinashootout
between two groups camping near Hickory Nut
Mountain north of Crystal Springs. According to
Garland County officials, a group of local people
attacked the buses which housed the group known
as the "Rainbow People." The Rainbow People responded with gunfire.
Page 22 • Transformation• Spring 1997
David Scott Merlotti, 32, was charged with manslaughter but the shooting was later ruled justified
since Merlotti reportedly was defending his campsite from the youths who were throwing rocks.
Merlotti was later extradited to Oregon to face former
charges there. Garland County authorities said the
shooting was the first time they had received a report
of violence in connection with the Rainbow People.
5/6-7, 5/9, 1/2/97: ADG, Sentinel Record
Pine Bluff, May 8
Crystal Cagle, 20, was fatally shot in the head
while driving on Arkansas 365 with a friend. Someone in a blue or blue-gray Monte Carlo-type vehicle
shot Cagle as the car passed Cagle's car. Timothy
Riley, a passenger in Cagle' scar, slid into the driver's
seat and drove Cagle' s car to a residential area and
called for help. Cagle died the next morning at University Hospital in Little Rock.
5/8:ADG
Brian Clark, 18, Charles Russey, 21, were charged
with first-degree murder and were held on $250,000
bond. Eric Lamont Roberts, 20, was held on $10,000
bond. Robert Antone Wilson, 19,washeldon$250,000
bond. Roberts allegedly drove the car from which
Clark and Russey allegedly fired the fatal shots.
Wilson was a passenger in the car. Watson had been
standing outside of the car arguing with its occupants when Clark allegedly opened fire. Watson
died less than nine hours after graduating from high
school. He was reputed to be a member of the South
Side gang.
5/22-25, 1/5/97: ADG
Little Rock, June 6
Ian Houston, 20, was shot to death by a man who
walked up to the car in which Houston was sitting at
12th Street and University Avenue. Andra Jackson
has been charged with first-degree murder.
6/6, 1/5/97: ADG
Varner, June 8
Little Rock, May 10
Jalal Dawson, 18, was shot as he talked on a pay
phone outside a restaurant in Wright Avenue. A
witness saw a Cadillac occupied by two or three men
pull into the restaurant's parking lot and someone in
the car fired a single shot at Dawson, striking him in
the chest. There are no suspects. Dawson's killing came
two years after the shooting death of his brother, 14-year
old Munir Dawson. That murder is also unsolved.
5/10, 1/5/97: ADG
Little Rock, May 21
Corey Horton, 16, died from a gunshot wound in
the head. Horton's father, Clemmie Herd, 37, argued
with Mark Bolton, 22, and both father and son were
found with handgun wounds by police. Bolton was
charged with two counts of capital murder. He was
held without bond.
5/12: ADG
Little Rock, May 22
Chuck "Toby" J. Moppin, 18, was killed while he
slept in the Varner Unit of the state Department of
Correction. Moppin was stabbed in the right side of
the chest with a homemade weapon. Another prisoner, Robert Hoover, 19,was injured. Arkansas State
Police officials questioned Jason Brodie, 20, who said
he attacked the two men because they had been
harassing him. Brodie was charged with capital
murder, attempted capital murder, and possession
of a weapon by an incarcerated person.
Brodie was serving a life sentence for the 1994
murder of Jason Self. Moppin was serving a two-year
sentence on a theft of property conviction and Hoover
was serving a five-year sentence on convictions of
burglary and theft of property charges.
Brodie pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in
prison without parole plus 36 years.
6/8, 4/6/97: ADG
Little Rock, June 13
Terrance Watson, 19, died from a bullet through
the heart at a convenience store on Base Line Road.
Reginald Williams, 18, died from a gunshot wound
in the chest. His body was found lying in the street in
Page 23 • Transformation• Spring 1997
the 2600 block of Broadway. Authorities believe that
Williams' death was a drive-by shooting. No arrests
have been made.
6/13, 1/5/97: ADG
Park, Fla., was found by a hiker. For the details of this
case, see the Murdered Women section entry for
"Drasco, July 19."
7 /14, 7/19-23: ADG
Little Rock, July 27
Little Rock, June 13
Roy Anderson, 20, was shot in the face while
sitting in a pickup at a gas pump at the E-Z Mart at
1621 Broadway. Therearenosuspectsbutpolicesaid
that Reginald Williams' death and Anderson's murder on the same day may be related.
6/13, 1/5/97: ADG
Pine Bluff, June 20
Fabian Weston Jr:, 18, was killed with an aluminum baseball bat allegedly by his neighbor, Bernard
Black, 19. The two argued after Weston complained
about Black's friends congregating on parked cars in
front of the house in which Weston lived with his
mother. Black was charged with first-degree murder
and was held in lieu of $50,000 bond.
6/20: ADG
Little Rock, June 24
James "Bulky" Allen, 17, was killed in a drive-by
shooting. Allen was walking on Elm Street when the
driver of a Toyota Camry fired five shots at him,
hitting him in the side. A witness said there were
three males in the car. Robert Lovell Brown, 20, was
arrested on a charge of capital murder and sentenced
to life in prison without parole. Police believe the
shooting to be gang-related, possibly in retaliation
for the shooting of reputed South Side gang member,
Terrance Watson. Allen was in the West Side gang.
6/24-25, 2/11/97: ADG
Little Rock, July 17
Tavaras Robinson, 18, was standing outside of his
house on South Valentine Street around 2 a.m. when
someoneshothiminthechest. Noarrestshavebeenmade.
7 /17, 1/5/97: ADG
Drasco, July 19
The body of Miles Patrick Howard, 12, of Orange
Adam Wilstead, 16, was shot to death while leaving a disturbance at a house. Two gunmen opened
fire on the car that Wilstead was driving. He was
fatally wounded in the head and lost control of the
car, which then struck a tree. Three teen-age passengers fled before police arrived. Broderick Collier, 23,
has been arrested and charged with first-degree
murder. He is being held without bail in the Pulaski
County Jail.
7 /27, 1/5/97, 3/1/97: ADG
Fort Smith, August 6
Andrew Aldredge, 20, was fatally shot in the back
of the head with a .25-caliber gun. Aldridge was
driving his car with James Michael Thomas, 16, and
Ibn Kamal Islam, 17, sitting in the back. It is alleged
that one of the two youths shot Aldridge and both
fled the scene with 10 ounces of marijuana that
belonged to Aldridge.
Thomas and Islam were allegedly meeting with
Aldredge to purchase marijuana. Both men were
charged with first-degree murder.
8/6:ADG
Boone County, September 15
The body of John Thomas Melbourne Jr., 15, of
Harrison, was found in northern Boone County.
Apparently, Melbourne was beaten and strangled in
Harrison on August 19. He then was taken by car to
a residence near Omaha where he was beaten again.
Finally, he was taken to a wooded area and killed.
Authorities believe that he was strangled to death.
Three people have been charged with capital
murder and kidnapping. Christopher Epps, 20, of
Hot Springs, was one of the three people. The other
two people were in custody in Utah on charges that
were unrelated to Melbourne's death.
Charges of kidnapping and battery in the first-
Page 24 • Transformation• Spring 1997
degree were filed against Robert Diemert, 25, of
Harrison, and another person who was in Utah.
Authorities believe the homicide involved "a group
of people who were participating in relatively minor
criminal behavior together" and who were "disciplining someone within their group."
9/15: ADG
North Little Rock, September 22
Tidus Mills, 19, was found lying face down in a
parking lot on Pike Avenue. He had been shot in both
legs, the upper stomach and left side. Police asked
Mills who did the shooting before he was taken to
Baptist Memorial Medical Center, where he was
pronounced dead.
Five witnesses fold authorities that they heard
five or six gunshots. No arrests have been made.
9/22:ADG
battery. An arrest warrant was issued for Demetric
Williams, 20, of Texarkana, Texas. Williams is accused of being an accomplice to murder.
Authorities believe that a number of Texas and
Arkansas gangs were at the nightclub. A fistfight
occurred before the shooting.
Demery Stevens, 33, manager of the club, was
arrested for allegedly admitting underage customers.
10/8-9: ADG
McGehee, October 9
The body of Jeremy Devall Davis, 15, was found
on railroad tracks near the Louis-Dreyfus Rice Gin.
Davis' body was sent to the state Crime Laboratory to
determine the cause of death.
10/9, 10/11: ADG
Sherwood, October 10
Rogers, September 24
Steven Dutton, 13, was shot in the chest at close
range with a .20-gauge shotgun. Dutton had been
wrestling with Martin Shaun Nixon, 17, who allegedly shot him. Nixon was originally charged as an
adult with capital murder and held in the Benton
County jail. Bond was set at $150,000. Nixon pleaded
guilty to a second degree murder charge and an
aggravated assault charge to avoid the capital murder charge, and was sentenced to 25 years.
Donnie Newton, 18, was arrested on suspicion of
being an accomplice to manslaughter and hindering
apprehension. He is being held in the Benton County
Jailinlieuof$75,000bond. Christopher Carr, 19, was
arrested on suspicion of hindering apprehension; his
bond has been reduced to $5,000. Dutton and Nixon
claimed gang affiliation with the Northwest Crips.
9/24-26, 9/28, 11/3, 3/2/97: ADG
Texarkana, October 8
Danyon Green, 17, of Texarkana, Ark. was shot to
death at the Ace of Clubs nightclub. Five other people
were seriously wounded in the incident. Jamie D.
Lee, 19,ofTexarkana, Texas, was arrested and charged
with capital murder and five counts of first-degree
James Earl Routt, 20, was fatally shot on a school
bus as he rode home from a day at Jacksonville High
School. Sherwood police charged Willis Ward
Johnson, 14, with capital murder and aggravated
assault. He was charged as an adult. Police found a
.22-caliber pistol near Johnson's home. They believe
the pistol was used in the shooting. The driver of the
school bus reported that Johnson had been harassing
Routt on the bus.
Johnson pleaded innocent to the charges. At the
urging of the Routt's family, prosecuters won't seek
the death penalty. Bond was set at $500,000. Johnson
is being held at the Pulaski County Jail.
10/10-11, 3/11/97: ADG
North Little Rock, October 23
Ebony A. Ward, 19, was found lying near an
intersection with a gunshot wound in his chest. No
suspects have been identified.
10/23:ADG
Little Rock, November 11
Antonio Hall, 20, was shot with a .22-caliber rifle
outside of a house on Wolfe Street following an
argument with Sherman Worsham, 19. Police said
Page 25 • Transformation• Spring 1997
Hall's history with the department indicates that the
shooting was probably gang related. Worsham
waived his rights and confessed to the shooting. He
was charged with first-degree murder and is being
held on $250,000 bond in the Pulaski County jail.
11/11-13: ADG
North Little Rock, November 17
David Green, 17, was killed when James Hatchett,
24, and Roderick Bone, 24, allegedly fired a shotgun
into the home of Clyde Hatchett. One of the shotgun
blasts hit Green, who was not involved in the dispute
between Clyde Hatchett and the suspects. James
Hatchett and Roderick Bone were charged with capital murder and held without bond in Pulaski County
jail.
11/17, 11/20: ADG
VIOLENCE
AGAINST
PEOPLE
WITHDISABILITIES,
HIV/AIDS
Little Rock, October 11
State police are investigating the distribution of
fliers containing the names of people who are supposedly HIV-positive. The fliers are on state Health
Department letterhead and were being distributed at
homes and on cars throughout Central Arkansas.
Arlene Rose, director of the agency's division of
AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases stated that
the information given is false.
10/11: ADG
Littlepage, said that the supervisors placed her computer keyboard on top of her monitor where she
couldn't reach it and told other workers not to move
it for her. Littlepage said the supervisors conspired
to gradually reduce Raulston's duties until she was
no longer serving a "primary function" and so could
be legally fired.
10/25: ADG
Mountain View, November 10
William Eugene McConnaugey, 38, was arrested
and charged with first-degree sexual abuse of a resident at the Stone County Skilled Nursing Facility.
McConnaugey, a nurse's aide, is accused of the November 3 sexual abuse of a 38-year-old woman who
is paralyzed and unable to speak. Another employee
witnessed the incident and reported it.
11/10:ADG ,
Conway, December 19
Prosecutors dropped charges against three nursing home employees accused of felony abuse of an
adult. The charges were filed after Robert Jernigan,
85, a resident of Salem Place Nursing Home, was left
outsidethenightofNovember9,
1995. Later,Jernigan
suffered from pneumonia, congestive heart failure
and hypothermia. He died in February. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Marcus Vaden said charges were
dropped in order to investigate whether other employees should be charged.
12/19: ADG
Little Rock, October 25
Karen Raulston, a county employee for 16 years,
filed suit accusing her employers of trying to force
her out of her job because of her physical disability.
Raulston, who has worked in the real estate division
of the circuit clerk's office since 1985, alleges that
division supervisor, Gay Sallee, "began a campaign
of intentional harassment and intimidation" in January 1995. As an example, Raulston's attorney, Lewis
Page 26 • Transformation • Spring 1997
Would You Like to Help?
The Women's Watchcare Network is dependent
upon a steady flow of information about the activities of organized hate groups in Arkansas and the
individual incidences of violence against people because of their gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, and disability.
To get this information, we read and clip newspapers
from around the state and obtain victims' statements.
What do we need to do this work?
INFORMATION ...
• Newspaper clippings from newspapers other
than the Little Rock newspapers in the categories
given in the log: murders of women, racist violence,
violence due to sexual orientation or gender identity,
violence targeting age (youth and elderly), violence
against people with disabilities, violence against
people because of their religion, and activities of
organized hate groups. If you send a clipping, please
write the name of the newspaper and the date of the
article.
• Victims' statements. If you are the victim of
harassment or more severe violence or you witnessed the incident, please call us and give us a report
of the incidence.
Your account will not be published without your
permission. However, even if we do not publish
your report in our annual log, we can use the statistical information to track the trends in such violence.
What do we need to counter the violence?
WILLING HEARTS AND HANDS ...
• Are you willing to host a showing of the video,
Not In Our Town, with your friends, neighbors,
church group, youth group, or co-workers? This
video shows the response of one town when bias
violence erupted.
• Are you willing to work with the Women's
Project and a coalition of other organizations on a
Hate Free Zones campaign?
If you are willing to help, please call us at the
• Newspaper subscriptions to newspapers other
than the Little Rock newspapers.
We particularly need the newspapers of the larger
cities in Arkansas although any newspaper subscription would be welcome. (Call us before you subscribe.)
• Leaflets, pamphlets and flyers mailed to you,
handed to you, or put under your windshield wipers
by organized hate groups. Please write where you
received it (e.g. in the mail, at the grocery store) and
the date you received it.
Women's Project:
501-372-5113 (voice),
501-372-6853 (TTY),
501-372-0009 (FAX), or
wproj ect@aol.com
Specialacknowledgementsto: Linda Coyle, Denise
Dorton, Chris Christoffel,Arden Kate, FreddieNixon,
FrancesPritchett,CarolynWagner,Mollie Wiseman
Page 27 • Transformation • Spring 1997
CurrentProjects
• Women's Watchcare Network
nomic realities, to fight discrimination and to
create employment opportunities.
The Women's Watchcare Network monitors and
documents biased violence, whether it be from
far right groups such as the KKK or militias, the
religious right, or individual acts of violence
against people because of their race, gender,
class, age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion. We publish a
yearly log of anecdotal evidence of this violence
and use it to educate the general public, advocate with public officials to ensure civil rights
protections and to work with communities to
prevent violence.
• Social Justice Project
• Prison Project
Through the Prison Project we provide support
groups for battered women, train women to be
HIV/ AIDS educators, provide domestic violence
education for incarcerated men, work with
community organizations on advocacy for prisoners and work with United Methodist Women
to provide transportation for children to visit
their mothers (MIWATCH) and to provide
toiletry items to women who cannot purchase
them,.
Through the Social Justice Project, we provide
popular education about the oppressions, how
they are linked, and develop strategies for dismantling them. We work with social change
organizations to strengthen them, incubate new
projects, and bring people together in Arkansas
and the South to form progressive networks that
support a progressive agenda that includes
everyone. Through our African American
Women's Institute for Social Justice, we create
strategies for overcoming the barriers that
hinder African American women's efforts toward power and self-determination.
• Publications and Events
Our publications and events include a newsletter, a lending library, resource manuals, statewide and regional conferences, and the production of women performers and writers. We also
distribute Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism
and In the Time of the Right: Reflections on
Liberation..by Suzanne Pharr.
• Economic Justice Project
In our struggle for economic justice we work
with low-income women to understand eco-
Published four times a year
by the Women's Project,
2224 Main Street, Little Rock,
Arkansas, 72206.
Phone: 501-372-5113
Letters to the editor are welcome.
Transformation
Editor
Art Director
*
Suzanne Pharr
Melissa Britton James
Printed on recycled paper.
*
Women's Project Staff:
Felicia Davidson
Lynn Frost
Judy Matsuoka
SofiaMemon
Janet Perkins
Suzanne Pharr
©1997 The Women's Project
Page 28 • Transformation • Spring 1997
Univl1111f
1~[11l~11iiij1
~~l[lllli~l~ll1[1ij11i~ill~d,
OK
Property of the Center
importance to traditionally underrepresented
women: poor women, aged women, women of color,
teenage mothers, lesbians, women in prisons, etc.
All are women who experience discrimination and
violence against their lives.
We are committed to working multi-culturally,
multi-racially, and to making our work and cultural
events accessible to low income women. We believe
that women will not know equality until they know
economic justice.
We believe that a few committed women working
in coalition and in consensus with other women can
make significant change in the quality of life for all
women.
Our goal is social change or, as the poet Adrienne
Rich writes, "the transformation of the world." We
believe this world can be changed to become a place
of peace and justice for all women.
We take risks in our work; we take unpopular
stands. We work for all women and against all
forms of discrimination and oppression. We believe
that we cannot work for all women and against
sexism unless we also work against racism, classism,
ageism, anti-Semitism, ableism, heterosexism and
homophobia. We see the connection among these
oppressions as the context for violence against
women in this society.
We are concerned in particular about issues of
Trans/ormation is published four times ~very year.
In each issue, members and volunteers receive analysis of contemporary issues,
information about Women's Project upcoming events and activities, book reviews, and more.
If you are not a Women's Project member or volunteer and would like to continue
receiving the newsletter, please fill out the membership form on this page.
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10Yes,I wouldliketo jointheWomen'sProject.
Name ___________________________________
_
Address ----------------------------------City ___________________________________
State ____
_
_
Zip---------
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75
Make checks payable to:
Women's Project
2224 Main Street
Little Rock, AR 72206
L ________________________________________
Page 29 • Transformation• Spring 1997
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Women's
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Little Rock, AR 72206
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