A suspect was arrested early Monday in the death of a woman whose body was found Sunday in her Heber Springs home, authorities said.
The suspect was being held in lieu of bond in the Cleburne County jail in connection with the death of Marcia Dye, 54, who lived at 100 W. Quitman St. in Heber Springs.
Heber Springs Police Chief Bobby Walker said Monday that he won't release the suspect's name until formal charges are filed. Investigators don't believe the crime was random, he said.
"We suspect no one else," Walker said. "We believe everyone is safe."
Dye's body was found shortly after noon Sunday by someone who had gone to her house to check on some animals, according to Walker. Her body was taken to the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock for an autopsy, Walker said.
Walker's agency along with the Arkansas State Police processed the crime scene and conducted interviews before they developed a suspect, he said. Law enforcement officers from the Cleburne County sheriff's office and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission assisted in the search that led to the arrest of the suspect without incident in the "wee hours" of Monday morning, Walker said.
The homicide is the first in some time for the town of 7,165, which is known for its proximity to Greers Ferry Lake, a major draw for boaters, campers, hikers and anglers.
"I've been here almost four years," Walker said. "We don't have a known homicide during that time."
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Drew Smith of the 16th Judicial Circuit, whose office is in Heber Springs, said Monday that he expects to have a case file on which to base formal charges in the next day or two.
Metro on 04/14/2015