Crime scene cleanup is a generic term applied to organic or non-organic cleanup of bodily fluids, blood, or other potentially contaminated materials from a crime scene. Copyright 2023 The Inquisitr. Authorities continued searching for the smoking gun that would put Sam away, but no such evidence was needed in the court of public opinion. Total Violent Crime. "On a whim she decided she would drive to Van Buren, hoping that her mother might put her arms around her and say everything's going to be all right," said Anita Paddock. [33], After resting for three days following Prairie Grove, Herron and Blunt decided to move south against Hindman with 8,000 men, although this movement was delayed by a heavy snowstorm. Instead, Ruie Ann tore into the girl she had always considered a disappointment. Van Buren Police Sgt. They forced him into the town bank, tied him to a pillar with baling wire, and stole the bank's small safe. "She wasn't nearly as smart as Sam.". Unfortunately, her cheating hubby figured it out and kept the secret until he was ready to make a clean getaway to be with his mistress? "And right in front of us was the box where you buy the newspaper and there was Linda's picture on the cover of the paper," said Linda Myers. 0.7107. Privacy Policy. "I wouldn't say she had any enemies but she just did not have a nice personality," said Paddock. "One time she came up here for a visit and came up to our house, and that's when her attitude changed, she got mad and she wanted all the boys and wasn't just going to take what Howard gave her, she was going to fight," said Linda. Her son, Sam Hugh Park, was her pride and joy. Crime Type. "The police investigation basically revealed that someone had managed to get inside this woman's very substantial defenses and had beaten her on the head," said Ron Fields. Neighbors heard arguing coming from the couples apartment shortly before the bloodbath, he added. Linda goes on to tell police that the fuse was lit the weekend her husband was out of town on a camping trip, and she found out he was having an affair. You all demolished me. [68] Holmes ordered Hindman to abandon the Fort Smith area, and the Confederates spent the beginning of 1863 retreating to Little Rock. In the southern state of Arkansas, anti-secessionists were initially strong, slavery being considered a key issue. Hindman left one infantry regiment and some artillery in Van Buren. The state convention voted to secede on May 6, and Arkansas joined the Confederate States of America. At some point, he moved into one of his mother's three rental properties just a few hundred feet from the main house, and opened up his own law practice. By the time Crump returned to prepare his surprised men for battle, the Union troopers were almost upon them. From there, a trail of gore leads through the hallway around a scattered pile of books and into the den. Authorities identified the suspect as David Wayne Priest, 24. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. B. A Union patrol was sent to burn the two transports upriver, but found that the Confederates had already done so. Van Buren High School is part of the Van Buren School District in Van Buren, Arkansas. [51] While Blunt and Herron discussed the prospects of making an attack across the river to Fort Smith, the Confederates brought up troops on the far side of the river. And when the paper was still there hours later, he thought worse than that. In response, Hindman changed his plan to strike Herron first at Prairie Grove and then attack Blunt. Who Where Receive obituaries Chloe Watts February 23, 2023 (86 years old) View obituary Loreta B. Hatfield February 22, 2023 (88 years old) View obituary Howard got the message and arranged a private meeting with the newly transformed Linda. [Featured Image by Elzbieta Sekowska/Shutterstock]. "She was using a social media account for this Frank person. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. There was a finger, a hand print, a bloody handprint on the refrigerator door that I don't know if any prints were ever taken off of that.". These passageways are now part of the Arkansas Heritage Trails System. Write your message of sympathy today. Local Arkansas State. "He woke up and saw his mother's newspaper still laying where she demanded it be thrown. "In fact he had supper with us and was in good spirits," said Myers. But a phone call to police dropped a bombshell that led detectives directly to Linda Martin. Mari Newby. "At that point I refused to give them the warrants. However, Johnson planned to swindle the doctor by faking a robbery, he said. ", "Ruie Ann had long black hair clutched in her hand," said Paddock. [1] The successful bombardment of Fort Sumter by Confederate troops in seceded territory on April 12[2] swung political opinion toward secession. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KFSM in the Channel Store. Here is what she revealed. There were even reports of heated public exchanges between the two, some occurring just a few weeks before the night that would change everything. VAN BUREN, Ark. Johnson and his wife, Libby, a bookkeeper in the doctors office, were arrested June 19 at the Memphis International Airport with $1.37 million of the money withdrawn by the doctor. According to investigators, Eathan has a history of domestic violence. According to Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy. Mrs. Johnson, who was charged with theft, was free on $10,000 bond. "The murder charge was dropped to second-degree murder and she was sent to prison for 20 years with the possibility of parole.". "This is a story that has more tragedy to it than just the murder of Mrs. Park," said Rusty Myers, a friend of Sam Park's, the son of Ruie Ann Park. Blunt ordered the cavalry to drive all the way to the Arkansas River. [69] Cooper's men went to the Indian Territory,[68] and a small force led by William Steele remained at Forth Smith;[70] Union troops captured the post on September 1, 1863. "Our kids were with us, he enjoyed our kids, and we just had a really good evening together," said Linda Myers, Rusty's wife. Linda got married and settled into a quiet life of obscurity about three hours away in Cabot, Arkansas, while Sam Hugh graduated law school, returned to Van Buren and found success as the youngest ever U.S. prosecuting attorney of the 5th District of Arkansas. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. But when he dies from alcoholism just two years later, the spotlight circles back to a close member of the family, who happened to be the least one anyone would have suspected. (AP) _ A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing a doctor a day after she withdrew $1.4 million for a money-laundering scam that went sour. But when hours passed, and he used his key to enter his mothers home, the situation went from strange to grisly. Van Buren ( / vn bjrn / van BURE-n) is the second-largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the county seat of Crawford County, Arkansas, United States. In the last 5 years Van Buren has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. [35][36] The Union troops traveled during cold weather and over ground that was in places covered with snow. "So Linda picked up that gavel.". Sam, hysterical, called police, then his sister. The doctor told bank officials she planned to buy artworks with the $1.4 million she withdrew on June 16. When the mother of a prominent family is found bludgeoned to death in her home, all eyes focus on her gay son, a struggling attorney. VAN BUREN, Ark. Thanks for contacting us. [11] A militia officer, Brigadier General James S. Rains of the Missouri State Guard, commanded in Hindman's absence. He was also a homosexual, which would have created quite a scandal in town in the old days. Later that night, Sam chitchatted with his mother on the phone before drinking himself to sleep. Alan Michael Johnson, 43, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the death of Dr. Rebecca Johnson. His mother, 74, was found dead inside her bedroom at a Van Buren condo. Comments / 0. In the words of Shea, Hindman's orders were carried out with "more enthusiasm and less judgment" than intended. There is no photo or video of Helen Herring.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. He could have faced the death penalty. Sam's drinking, already a problem, became completely out of control. Unfortunately, Sam's partying started to become an everyday thing, and he would eventually lose his job as a state prosecutor. Jonathan Wear said. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. [12] The Union commands were then combined by Schofield into the Army of the Frontier. [13] Hindman returned from Little Rock on October 15. He paid Glover $10,000 to dispose of the body, authorities said. Lloyd was charged with aggravated assault and taken into custody. "So he put two and two together and he harassed Linda until she finally admitted to him, 'Yes, I did it.'". "We sent the police there, they took a statement from her and she fully confessed," said Fields. A neighbor living in the other half of their duplex called 911 around 12:40 a.m., and said that bullets had torn through his wall, with one even striking his headboard, right above where he and his wife had been sleeping. To the people who knew Sam, the real reason police suspected him so quickly had little to do with any real evidence. [3] The city is located directly northeast of Fort Smith at the Interstate 40 - Interstate 540 junction. A man in Van Buren, Arkansas shot and killed his pregnant wife, and his stepson in a murder-suicide Sunday, cops said in a40/29 News report. "He had one, his mother had one and Linda had one. [63], Blunt could not operate a supply line across the Boston Mountains, and decided to withdraw that day. Police then went to the apartment complex and found a camper and truck with license plates that showed both vehicles belonged to Alfred and Pauline Carpenter. And then there was the fact that not long before her death, Ruie Ann had actually reported a prowler on her property. He could have faced the death penalty. [57] After plundering the town the night after the battle,[59] the Union forces held a military parade that day to impress the local civilians. The weather eventually broke, and late on December 25, the two Union officers decided it was time to resume the advance. The Van Buren Fire Department said at approximately 9:30 a.m., the department was . "She wanted to be involved in everything," said Paddock. So, they had already started to get rid of this property or sell it or whatever it was that they were doing," said Capt. "She got the two little boys and he took the two big boys.". Sign up to receive breaking True Crime Daily news, exclusive stories and behind-the-scenes info. The 1838 restored Drennon-Scott House Museum is open to the public and also serves as a working laboratory for students at UA Fort Smith. [17] Instead of acting aggressively against Herron as planned on December 7, Hindman took up a defensive position and awaited Herron's assault. Burial was in Gracelawn Cemetery in Van Buren, under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home in Van Buren. Not long after that, Sam started coughing up blood. But when hours passed, and he used his key to enter his mother's home, the situation went from strange to grisly. VAN BUREN, Ark. Helen Herring Obituary. Close to $100,000 dollars in diamonds and other jewelry had been stolen. Union troops found Confederate messages in a telegraph office, garnering a significant amount of military intelligence. "She found out her husband was having an affair," said Anita Paddock. Christina was 41 and about to turn 42 years old. "After that Sam just really just let himself go, he pushed his friends away, his whole life, living situation, law practice, everything became just more and more came apart," said friend Rusty Myers. According to Pen-L Publishing, a book about the murder was penned by Anita Paddock and gives a riveting and detailed account of the case. Herring Sr. and Annie Louise Ford Herring; her sisters, Arie R. Wright, Mary L Parker and Gennett Shaw; her niece Melissa M Ford; and her nephew Karl Gates. His beloved mother, 75-year-old Ruie Ann Park, was found dead in a pool of blood. [45] Some convalescent soldiers and men from the commissary and quartermaster departments were captured by the Union soldiers in Van Buren. Just a few hours after that meeting, the murder of Ruie Ann Park was no longer unsolved. "Sam had a tremendous need for money at the time and there were numerous statements from Sam's acquaintances saying he was constantly trying to borrow money from his mother," said Paddock. According to Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call near Natural Dam between 2-3 a.m. on Sunday, July 3. VAN BUREN, Ark. [40] Blunt had seniority over Herron and took overall command. And then he walked in through the kitchen into the den and there lay his mother's body, and she was dead.". A no-contact order was put in place for two women who are not Kristina. Crime rate in Van Buren, AR The 2019 crime rate in Van Buren, AR is 292 (City-Data.com crime index), which is comparable to the U.S. average. Ad Choices. Immediately after discovering Ruie Ann's body, some officers set their sights on one suspect, and one suspect only: her own son, Sam Hugh. After the shooting, the men and 45-year-old Ann Throneberry escaped into the Van Buren County wilderness and eluded police for about two weeks. He also bound her hands with duct tape, Marquette said. That made Sam the only person around who had a key to the home, a home the cash-strapped attorney also stood to inherit. He, Captain Cahil, and Major Rector also arrived in Van Buren on 11 May. Officers said they found a handgun at the scene of the murder-suicide. For Fire TV, search for "KFSM" to find the free app to add to your account. The reality was that soon after, Ruie Ann took Linda in, she regretted it. Arkansas softball home opener is Thursday. Wear said that it seemed like the couple had been arguing beforehand. Police say the so-called "carnival mafia" is not real, but for those involved and who committed this crime against Alfred and Pauline Carpenter, they believed it was. Kimberley Younger, Michael Fowler, Rusty Frasier, and Christine Tenney were taken in for questioning after it was revealed that they were the ones who brought the truck and camper into the complex. Regretted it death, Ruie Ann tore into the Army of the Arkansas Heritage Trails.! Who had a key issue done so changed his plan to strike Herron first at Prairie Grove and then Blunt! 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