BENTONVILLE -- A Rogers man charged with the attempted killing of his wife with rat poison lost his jail telephone and mail privileges for failing to abide by a no-contact order.
Bob Lee Steward, 45, is charged with attempted capital murder, a Class Y felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 40 years or life imprisonment.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge during his arraignment before Circuit Judge Brad Karen on Thursday.
Steward, who is being held in the Benton County Jail on $200,000, was ordered at his bond hearing not to have any contact with his wife, Janet.
Josh Robinson, deputy prosecutor, filed a petition regarding Steward sending letters from the jail to his wife. Robinson told Karren on Thursday that Steward sent five letters to his wife. One of them was mailed by another inmate for Steward.
Steward wrote his wife to tell her how much he misses her and how sorry he is, according to the probable cause affidavit. He asks his wife in another letter to contact the prosecutor's office and have the charges against him dismissed.
Karren revoked Steward's telephone privileges, and he can only send mail to his attorney.
Karren also appointed the Benton County Public Defenders Office to represent Steward.
"I think he understands no contact means no contact at this point," Sam Hall, deputy public defender, said of Steward.
Rogers police were called at 8:29 a.m. Sept. 25 to 3600 W. Lupine Drive. Janet Steward was in the driveway and told police her husband put rat poison in her coffee.
Janet Steward told police her husband made her coffee while she was in the shower. She took a sip of the coffee and noticed a bitter taste. She said she poured the drink into the sink and noticed a green substance in the coffee, according to the probably cause affidavit.
Police found a white coffee cup with green residue in it and a package of rodent control under the sink when the home was searched.
Bob Steward told police he put rat poison pellets in his wife's coffee, but described it as a prank, according to court documents. He told police he had been thinking of killing his wife for a year and thought about setting their home on fire while she was in the shower.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 12.
NW News on 10/28/2016