LITTLE ROCK — Sherwood police have arrested a man in connection with an attempted theft at a home on Arkansas 107 where a body was found Tuesday.
Lamarcus Dunn, 18, of North Little Rock was arrested Wednesday night and charged with criminal trespass and attempted theft of property. The arrest is the latest development in the investigation of the death of a McAlmont man whose body was found near where police had responded to an attempted-theft report 12 hours earlier. The homeowner, Larry Staley, told police he fired several shots in the direction of one of the intruders.
Staley's wife, Erlene, found the body of Bryant Cross in Gap Creek at the edge of the family's property at 10701 Highway 107 Tuesday afternoon. Sherwood investigators have not verified Cross' role in the attempted theft or released the manner in which he died. Police verified that his death was a homicide - which, Sherwood Police spokesman Ryan Baker said, simply means he did not die from natural causes - but said they have not received a report on how he died.
However, Dr. Charles Kokes, the state medical examiner, said Thursday the autopsy has been completed and the report forwarded to the investigating agency.
The events Tuesday began around 1:30 a.m., when ErleneStaley woke to see two men running from their garage, Larry Staley said. She stayed awake to watch the men. When they returned 10 minutes later, she woke her husband and called 911.
Staley said that when he took up a position at the back door with a .22-caliber pistol in hand, he saw two men - a black man in a black-hooded shirt who was walking toward his shed and a white man who stood at the back corner of the house.
Suddenly, he said, the white man ran toward him. The man kept running when he told him to "freeze," so Staley said he fired a few shots into the tops of a small stand of pine trees in his backyard. When the man crossed Gap Creekand ran up an embankment, Staley fired a few more shots several feet to the left of the man, into the embankment.
A search of the property by four Sherwood officers who responded to the call failed to turn up any sign of the intruders early Tuesday morning.
According to Baker, Dunn told investigators he was alone when he went into the Staleys' yard.
Staley said Thursday his wife reported seeing three suspects, but he only saw two. He said he fired at the white suspect and lost sight of the black suspect, though the clothes Cross was wearing when he was found matched the clothes the black suspect was wearing.
"Detectives are still looking into and gathering evidence to see if there is another suspect involved in the incident," Baker said.
Dunn, who was released on $1,870 bond, has one previous runin with Sherwood police, Baker said. After a July 3 traffic stop at Kellogg Acres Road and Arkansas 107, he was charged with disorderly conduct and communicating a false alarm after police reported he screamed and cursed at officers and then called 911 from the backseat of the car to say the officer had no right to arrest him.
Cross had no record with Sherwood police, Baker said.
Staley said Cross' parents, Charlene Trent and Lloyd McKinney, visited his home Thursday. They wanted to walk the property and talk with him, he said.
The conversation, Staley said, was very cordial.
"His father was a fine, intelligent man," Staley said. "I would be a friend with him anywhere."
A message left with Cross' mother was not returned.
Arkansas, Pages 13, 17 on 10/26/2007