LITTLE ROCK — A Little Rock man arrested Thursday in the Wednesday morning slaying of a homeless man told police he shot the man in the head in selfdefense, reports state.
About 2:15 a.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a report of a person down at 7724 Geyer Springs Road in southwest Little Rock and spoke with William Odom, 51, who said his friend, William Blundell, 21, was unresponsive across the street, reports state.
Officers found Blundell with a “large laceration” to his head lying next to Odom’s truck. Blundell was taken by Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services to UAMS Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about 3:01 a.m., according to reports.
Detectives spoke with Odom, who said he and Blundell were homeless and had been staying in the area the past couple of days. He told police he and Blundell had recently “been having problems” with some people in the area, reports state.
Odom told police that Blundell went across the street about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday to sleep next to Odom’s truck, according to reports.
Odom heard several gunshots after Blundell left, but he said he thought they came from the opposite direction from where his friend had walked. When Odom was about to go to sleep near Blundell, Odom shook him several times and found him unresponsive, reports state.
Police previously said Blundell had suffered some kind of trauma to his body but did not say the type of trauma. An autopsy performed by the state Crime Laboratory found Blundell had died from a gunshot wound to the head.
On Thursday, detectives spoke with Jasmine Pride, who police were told might have information about the homicide. Pride was taken to the Major Crimes Division and told detectives that her boyfriend, Stephon Cole, 18, of 7510 Geyer Springs Road Apartment D16 and some acquaintances had been having problems with Odom, reports state.
Pride told police Cole and several others left the apartment Tuesday night armed with guns. She said that sometime after they left, she heard several gunshots, which she mistook for fireworks.
The next day, Cole told her that he “might have shot and killed a guy accidentally,” reports state.
Detectives spoke with Cole, who agreed to make a statement. After waiving his Miranda rights, he told police he shot Blundell in self-defense. Cole said he feared for his safety after Odom had tried to set his apartment building on fire, reports state.
Cole, who also led detectives to the gun used in the shooting, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
He was held at the Pulaski County jail Thursday night. Bail had not been set.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 07/13/2012