Student researchers investigate hate crimes in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK — Hailey Davis, a junior criminal justice major at University of Arkansas Little Rock from Bee Branch is one of 10 exceptional undergraduate students from across the country who spent the summer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock investigating Muslim hate crimes and anti-Muslim sentiment in Arkansas.

Tusty ten Bensel, director of the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, and Dr. Robert Lytle, the graduate coordinator for the school, received a three-year $324,987 National Science Foundation grant in 2021 to study the perceptions of Muslims in Arkansas who have been the target of discrimination, harassment, or interpersonal crime, along with the impacts such behaviors have on victims.

'The summer program went very well,' ten Bensel said. 'We worked with 10 exceptional undergraduate students from all over the country and one from our very own campus. They were bright, excited, passionate about advocacy work, and dedicated to advancing their knowledge in research and Islamophobia. This was a lot of work to complete in eight weeks, but these experiences enriched the learning process, and the students were able to see their own growth and tangible outcomes from their efforts this summer.'

This year's cohort was the first of 30 undergraduate students who will participate in the design, implementation, analysis, and reporting of this project through the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

'I took a crime and behavior class from Professor Molly Smith during my sophomore year, and that sparked a passion for me for this research,' Hailey Davis, a junior criminal justice major at UALR, said. 'Learning about the experiences of victims of hate crimes really interested me. Growing up in the south, a lot of people don't know about special populations. I wanted to do my part as a criminal justice major to contribute to this field of research.'

During the summer program from June 6 to July 29, the student researchers participated in research and content workshops, alumni presentations, experiential activities, collecting and analyzing data, writing a research brief on findings, and participating in a final presentation for internal and external stakeholders.

Five criminal justice professors at UALR served as faculty mentors for the students.

During the second year of the project, the researchers will conduct interviews with up to 50 more people of the Muslim community in Arkansas and send out a statewide survey. The third year of research will include interviews with policy makers, legislators, and law enforcement about hate crime legislation.

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CHARLESTON— Maurice Anthony Richardson, 60, of Fort Smith, was charged Monday with first degree murder in connection with the death of Tonia Tram Tran.

Special Agents of the Arkansas State Police served the arrest warrant on Richardson at the Sebastian County Jail. State police arrested Richardson on Saturday, Aug. 20, on theft charges related to the homicide.

The body of a woman found Aug. 10, south of Interstate 40 along Arkansas Highway 186 was ultimately identified as the 53-year-old Tran, who had sustained multiple fatal injuries. Her body was left on an abandoned driveway north of Altus (Franklin County) and found around 6:30 a.m.

Tran had moved to Fort Smith earlier this year and previously resided in Garden Grove, California.

The state police investigation remains active as special agents continue to follow leads in the case.

Indications as to a motive in the slaying and details regarding the events of and leading up to the homicide are still being developed at this time.