Trial set for suspect accused of killing Arkansas man with ax handle; state seeks death penalty

A Crawford County man is scheduled to go on trial Tuesday in a capital-murder case, and the state is seeking the death penalty.

Randall Jordan, 36, is accused of beating Larry Eugene Jones, 59, with an ax handle as he slept in his bed in June 2016. Jones died shortly after in a Fort Smith hospital.

The jury trial before Circuit Judge Mike Medlock is scheduled to last most of the week. Court records show Prosecuting Attorney Marc McCune has subpoenaed more than 25 witnesses to testify.

Jordan has been held in custody in lieu of $500,000 bond since his arrest June 10, 2016.

According to reports by Crawford County sheriff's deputies, Jordan had been living with Jones but Jones kicked him out of his house at 5305 Grand Juniper Road in rural Van Buren. Jordan still had a key to the home and used it to get inside early June 10, 2016.

Reports said a guest, Melissa Qualls, who had been staying at Jones' house for five days, told deputies she was awakened about 5 a.m. to the whining of one of her dogs. Qualls said she also could hear someone gasping for air.

When she looked into Jones' room, she said she saw the shadow of someone striking down with a large object. Jones made a loud, grunting noise with each strike, Qualls told deputies.

Qualls gathered her dogs, ran next door and banged on the door of Jones' uncle, Walter Young, and told him someone was being hurt, according to reports. Young ran to the nearby home of Jones' son, Riley, and told him there was trouble and to get his gun.

Riley Jones told deputies he fired his gun into the air as he ran to his father's house because he didn't know what was going on inside, according to reports. He confronted Jordan, who was still holding the ax handle, in the dark standing in the doorway to his father's bedroom.

According to reports, Qualls told deputies that Riley Jones asked Jordan where his father was and Jordan replied that Larry Jones was fine and that he had run out the back door. Qualls told deputies that she could see Larry Jones' legs in the bedroom and called Jordan a liar.

Riley Jones gave his gun to Young and told him to watch Jordan until deputies arrived, then picked up his father and drove him to Sparks Regional Medical Center in Fort Smith, according to the reports.

An autopsy report from the Arkansas medical examiner's office concluded that Larry Jones died from head and brain injuries.

Riley Jones later told deputies that his father kicked Jordan out of his house because Jordan wouldn't do anything around the house, wouldn't help pay bills or try to get a job, reports said.

Another report said Larry Jones' daughter-in-law, Cara Jones, told deputies that Jordan was depressed. He had lost his mother and his job and his wife had divorced him.

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State Desk on 12/11/2017

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