Arkansas woman slain; police hunt for husband

A Harrison man sought in the shooting death of his estranged wife was still at large late Monday after police were unable to find him in a wooded area of Boone County where he abandoned her sport utility vehicle.

Police are searching for Matthew J. Bolen, 36, whose wife, Heaven Lee Bolen, 26, was shot Sunday.

Harrison police received a telephone call about a shooting at 1:19 p.m. Sunday. They found Heaven Bolen across Prospect Street from her residence, lying face down with what appeared to be a single gunshot wound in the head, Harrison Police Chief Paul Woodruff said.

She was transported to a Springfield, Mo., hospital, where she died Monday morning, Woodruff said.

Matthew Bolen borrowed a 9mm pistol from a friend Saturday and told people a day later that he had shot his wife, according to the police chief.

Matthew Bolen's 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup was found at Hotel Seville, two blocks from Heaven Bolen's residence.

Woodruff said Matthew Bolen parked the truck at the hotel, walked to his wife's house, shot her, then left in her Chevrolet Equinox sport utility vehicle.

Boone County sheriff's deputies found the Equinox about 10 miles northwest of downtown Harrison, Sheriff Mike Moore said. It was in a driveway about 30 yards off Arkansas 392, less than a mile south of the intersection with U.S. 412, Moore said.

Matthew Bolen had apparently scraped the pink words "Heaven's Day Care" out of the back window of the vehicle, Moore said.

Woodruff said Matthew Bolen has relatives who live in that area.

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Moore said a dozen of his deputies searched Monday, along with detectives from the Harrison Police Department, but they didn't find the suspect. Moore said Monday's search ended about 4 p.m. but may resume in that area today.

"We have had no luck so far," he said. "We really don't know where he's at. The only reason we're searching that area is that's where we found his vehicle. He may have gotten a ride. He could be anywhere. He's a fugitive at this point as far as we know. He's armed and dangerous."

Woodruff said the foot search in the wooded area may have ended for the day Monday but police are still searching for Matthew Bolen.

"The sheriff's office is doing the searching in the county but we will be talking [today] about the plan to keep searching the area or to stop," Woodruff said.

The police chief said Heaven Bolen had two children, an 8-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.

"From the information we're getting, Mr. Bolen had visitation with them and had taken them to his sister's house and dropped them off prior to the shooting," Woodruff said.

The chief said he presumed Matthew Bolen was the father of both children. The couple were separated and Matthew Bolen had been living with his father outside the city limits of Harrison, Woodruff said.

Woodruff said Matthew Bolen also has relatives in Carroll County. Randy Mayfield, the Carroll County sheriff, said his office hasn't been asked to assist with the search, although area law enforcement agencies have been notified to be on the lookout for Matthew Bolen.

Woodruff said Matthew Bolen had only minor conflicts with the law in the past. He was employed at Wabash Wood Products in Harrison, which manufactures laminated oak floors for semi trailers.

The police chief said Heaven Bolen ran a day-care business, but no children were present at the time of the shooting.

According to her Facebook page, Heaven Bolen was originally from Clyde, Ohio.

Metro on 01/24/2017

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