Realtor's body found in shallow grave; Lewis pleads innocent to murder

FILE — Arron Lewis is escorted by authorities at the Pulaski County sheriff's office in this September 2014 file photo.
FILE — Arron Lewis is escorted by authorities at the Pulaski County sheriff's office in this September 2014 file photo.

Authorities overnight found the body of missing real estate agent Beverly Carter buried in a shallow grave on property in Cabot, and the man arrested in her kidnapping has entered a preliminary innocent plea to a capital murder charge.

The Pulaski County sheriff's office questioned Arron Lewis for more than 12 hours after his arrest Monday in the abduction of Carter, who disappeared Thursday after going to show a home in Scott. Investigators found her body more than 20 miles away Tuesday at Argos Concrete Co., 12117 Arkansas 5 in Cabot, in a rural area about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock. Lewis used to work for the business.

"We have reason to believe he's been on the property and is familiar with it," Pulaski County sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden said.

Lewis admitted kidnapping Carter, the sheriff's office said, but wouldn't say where she was during the lengthy questioning. Shortly after being taken to the jail, investigators got a "major break in the case" that led them to the concrete business in far northern Pulaski County.

"They obtained permission to search the property," Minden said at the scene. "During the search of the property, they did find a shallow grave toward the back of the property," he said. "After they uncovered it, it was positively identified as Beverly Carter."

Lewis told reporters Tuesday as he was being taken from the jail to the sheriff's office that he didn't kill Carter, and described her as "a woman that worked alone — a rich broker." [FULL VIDEO]

Lewis did say he was sorry, Minden said, and he admitted to investigators that he abducted Carter, evidence that "strongly ties him to the case." But there are unanswered questions.

"Why'd he pick her? Why'd he do what he did? There's a lot of things we'll have to piece together," Minden said.

In the video of him being escorted from the sheriff's office, Lewis says he has a "codefendant" named "Trevor." But Minden said authorities aren't seeking anyone else believed to be involved in the kidnapping and murder.

"[Lewis] is the only suspect we have in the case and at this point the only person we're going to be looking for," he said.

Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay also addressed the subject of "Trevor" at an afternoon news conference, saying, "We had him yesterday, interviewed him extensively. We do not believe at this point he was involved in the commission of this crime.”

Pulaski County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Johnson said Lewis appeared Tuesday morning in Pulaski County District Court and entered preliminary innocent pleas to charges of capital murder and kidnapping. He was ordered held without bail.

Johnson said he couldn’t comment about the case itself.

Carter, 50, an agent for Crye-Leike Realtors in North Little Rock, told her husband by phone Thursday evening that she was going to show someone a home at 14202 Old River Drive. When she didn't return home later that night, Carter's husband went to the house and found her sport utility vehicle parked outside with her purse in it and the door to the home open. But there was no sign of Carter.

Police and dozens of volunteers spent the weekend searching the area around the home for clues in the disappearance.

Minden said the sheriff's office "extends their deepest condolences to the Carter family for their tragic loss."

"It's just not what we wanted," he said, standing outside the concrete business. "Our hope was and the fact of him not coming out and saying 'I did it' — that kept our hopes up we could find her alive. But once he ceased talking to us and we were out here on this location, it's devastating to a certain point. Because you just had better hopes."

Police haven't said how investigators linked Lewis to Carter's disappearance, but the sheriff said more details will be released at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

"I just want to express my condolences to the Carter family and her friends who have worked so hard to find her and these investigators who were committed to finding her," Holladay told reporters Tuesday morning.

See Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more on this story.

Lewis speaks to reporters after arrest

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Arron Lewis

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Pulaski County sheriff's deputies work Argos Concrete Co., 12117 Arkansas 5 in Cabot, where Realtor Beverly Carter's body was found buried behind the building Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014.

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Pulaski County sheriff's deputies work in 12100 block of Arkansas 5 in Cabot, where Realtor Beverly Carter's body was found buried behind the building Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014.

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Pulaski County Sheriff's Office

Special to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette - 09/26/2014 - Beverly Carter

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Information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press.

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