Police seek public’s help in murder investigations

JONESBORO — Detectives with the Jonesboro Police Department are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in the Sept. 10 shooting death of a Blytheville man, according to Sally Smith, public information specialist with the police department.

A 19-year-old man was shot and killed on the night of Sept. 10 in the 1100 block of Links Circle, according to the Jonesboro police.

The victim in the shooting was taken to St. Bernards Medical Center to be treated for an apparent gunshot wound. He was taken to surgery shortly after arrival. Derrick Kentrail Leonard died during surgery, according to a release.

The JPD Criminal Investigations Division is continuing the investigation of this incident.

Smith said investigators are continuing to question witnesses and family members about the death.

At about 7:52 p.m. Sept.

10, dispatch was notified of a male laying in the roadway. Once officers arrived, they discovered the victim suffering from a gunshot wound. He was treated on scene and transported to an area hospital.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call CrimeStoppers with their tip. People can remain anonymous and earn a cash reward if a tip leads to an arrest. Call 935-STOP.

The shooting death marked the third murder in Jonesboro in a month’s time.

On Sept. 4, an officer patrolling the area of Spruce and Warren streets around 2:30 a.m. noticed the body of Kevin Oden, 39, lying on his back in the road.

Kalen Dakota Prunty, 27, was found inside the home of the victim’s ex-girlfriend, according to a probable cause affidavit by Jonesboro police Detective Logan Butler.

Craighead County District Judge David Boling found probable cause to charge Prunty with first-degree murder and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He set bond at $2 million.

After a warrant was issued for a juvenile in connection with the Aug. 14 murder of Madison Wilfong, an arrest was made on Sept. 7.

Members of the United States Marshals Service Eastern Arkansas Fugitive Task Force and Jonesboro Police Departments Street Crimes Unit developed information that a suspect in the murder was at a residence in Jonesboro.

EATF and SCU members

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then attempted to locate the person of interest Wednesday evening at 5:15 p.m. and after several minutes of knocking, the 17year-old male suspect exited the front door of the residence with his hands up and was taken into custody without incident.

Police have not released many details, but said they received the call at 8:06 p.m. Aug. 14 in the 1000 block of Ferrell Street, which is between West Matthews and Nettleton avenues, near Annie Camp Junior High School.

Officer Jacob Lowry said in his report that he found Wilfong, 19, lying on the sidewalk outside of the apartments.

Unsolved murders Since 2017, there have been three unsolved murders in Jonesboro, according

to Smith. Roderic Corbin, 53,

Jonesboro, was shot to death in November 2017 and was discovered after a shots fired call lead police to the 2800 block of Summit Cove. Nobody has been arrested in connection to this case.

A man found murdered in his home in January 2020 was identified by police as Donald C. Hubbard, 78.

When Jonesboro police officers responded to the residence in the 1800 block of Shady Grove Road, they found Hubbard had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to the incident report.

Hubbard’s stepson requested a welfare check because “he was coming to the residence to check on his stepfather and hasn’t been able to get him to answer the door,” officer Joseph Branstetter wrote in the report.

Police are also still looking for a suspect in the March 31, 2021, murder of a southwest Jonesboro man.

Johnathan Felipe, 21, was found shot to death at his residence in the 700 block of West Strawn Avenue, according to previous Sun reporting. In a redacted incident report, the department noted that the victim was shot under “unknown circumstances.”

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BEEBE — An abducted child has been taken back to Texas from Beebe while his 30-year-old mother awaits extradition in the White County Detention Center on a child endangerment charge.

According to the Beebe Police Department, it was contacted by a detective from the Burleson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 8 in regards to a missing and endangered 2year-old boy. The detective reported that Chelsey Smith had taken the child out of Texas more than two months ago and a nationwide felony warrant for interference with child custody had been issued for her. He told Beebe police that they had information that Smith might be staying in a residence in the 700 block of West College Street.

Beebe officers reportedly went to the residence and made contact with the resident, Gregory Lopez.

“Lopez initially opened the door to two plainclothes detectives, but once he was informed for the reason for the visit, he attempted to shut the door,” Beebe police said in a statement.

“Detectives prevented Lopez from shutting the door as evidence was discovered at the residence to suggest that Smith and the child were present inside the home. After a brief confrontation, officers pushed passed Lopez and took the child immediately from the home.” Lopez was arrested on a charge of hindering apprehension and has been released on bail.

Burleson County Chief Deputy John Pollock told The Daily Citizen that Smith had fled with the child June 30 after the sheriff’s office had been

Continued on Page 15 STATE NEWS (cont.)

given “a writ of attachment from a district judge – in Texas, that’s an order to a sheriff to take possession of a child and then turn that child over to whoever the judge orders.”

“We went to a residence to try to execute a court order to try to remove a child and give it to the custody of the Texas Child Protective Services and in the process of that,” Pollack said, “the mother ended up refusing to physically turn the child over, ended up locking herself in the house after being told why we were there, what we were there to do – and ultimately we only had one deputy on the scene at the time before his backup could arrive and while she was talking to another family member, our suspect, the mother of the child, was able to leave the residence with the child to a wooded area, and we believe she was picked up by someone. We don’t know who that would be but she was picked up.”

Pollack said the district attorney’s office and judge issued a warrant for Smith for interfering with child custody “because of the fact that she had been told by a peace officer that there was a legal document from a judge, taking custody of that child and placing it somewhere, so we charged her with interfering with child custody, which is a state jail felony in Texas.”

He said Smith fled Texas at some point and through their investigation they were able to get information of where she may be.

“We contacted the police department there in Arkansas and they went out and were able to make contact with her and arrest her on our charge and recover the child.”

Capt. Steve Hall, public information officer for the Beebe Police Department, told The Daily Citizen on Thursday that the Arkansas Department of Human Services transported the child back to Texas to child welfare authorities.

“I’m thankful to have such a great group of officers to serve this community,” Beebe Police Chief Wayne Ballew said on social media. “Afterwards, your officers took their personal money to ensure the child was cared for while waiting on transport back to Texas.”

Pollack said they are working on getting Smith extradited to Burleson County, which is in Caldwell, Texas.