A man in federal custody in Oklahoma has been named the second suspect in the December killings of a 24-year-old Little Rock woman and her two young children, police said.
During a Friday afternoon news conference, authorities said Michael Collins, 25 — the brother of the man who was arrested Monday — was involved in the deaths of Mariah Cunningham, 5-year-old Alayah Fisher and 3-year-old Elijah Fisher. The bodies were discovered Dec. 5 in the family's residence at the Rosewood Apartments at 6600 Lancaster Road.
Collins was arrested at a home in Chicago on Dec. 8 on probation violation warrants, major crimes division commander Russell King said. Little Rock police said they now have three murder warrants on Collins and are working to extradite him from a federal facility in Oklahoma.
Collins left Arkansas and went to Chicago the day Cunningham and her children were killed, King said. His arrest was said to have stemmed from a collaboration between Little Rock homicide detectives and the U.S. Marshals Service.
King said he could not discuss Collins’ role in the deaths but told reporters he is in federal custody in Oklahoma in connection with the probation violation.
Collins is the brother of William Alexander, 21, who was arrested Monday and charged with three counts of capital murder in the case. As of Friday afternoon, Alexander was being held without bail at the Pulaski County jail.
King said Collins knew Cunningham but did not elaborate on their relationship.
No details on how the 24-year-old mother or her children were killed nor any information on a motive were released Friday. King said this was to protect the integrity of the investigation and of potential jurors.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
