Two Pulaski County inmates awaiting trial in a triple-homicide case were charged Thursday in the fatal shooting of a Little Rock man almost one year ago.
William Alexander, 21, and Michael Collins, 25, were arrested earlier on three capital-murder charges in the December slayings of Mariah Cunningham and her two children, Alayah Fisher, 5, and Elijah Fisher, 3.
On Thursday, Little Rock officers added charges of capital murder and aggravated robbery in the death of 64-year-old Billie Thornton, department spokesman Steve Moore said. The two men were charged just days before the one-year anniversary of Thornton's death.
Thornton was found dead on July 11, 2017, in his apartment at 8701 Interstate 30 after reportedly suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Though initially called in as a suicide, officers quickly determined Thornton's death was a homicide.
Sheba Cunningham discovered the bodies of her granddaughter and two great-grandchildren on Dec. 5 in their Rosewood Apartments residence on Lancaster Road, police said
No cause of death has been provided for the Rosewood Apartments homicides, and critical details remain unknown to the public. The department has not released any information on how the two homicide cases were linked or any motive for the killings.
In both cases, the men were arrested on charges of aggravated robbery as well as capital murder. Cunningham's and Thornton's apartments are less than 1 mile apart.
Alexander was arrested on Jan. 8 of this year, though the details surrounding his arrest were few.
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Collins was taken into custody in Chicago on a federal arrest warrant from Colorado on Dec. 8, just three days after the Rosewood bodies were discovered. The Colorado warrant alleged that Alexander had violated his supervised release, according to court documents. He was later transported to a federal detention center in Colorado.
Collins was transported to Pulaski County jail in March, where he has remained.
Moore said the files concerning the homicides were currently sealed, and that no further information would be provided at this time.
A Pulaski County circuit judge issued a gag order on the triple homicide in April. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette filed a public-records request for the full investigative file in April but was denied access because of the gag order.
A motion signed by Alexander's and Collins' attorneys said the release of further information would prejudice their clients' right to a fair trial. The motion also said the judge in Collins' and Alexander's case had not yet ruled out the death penalty.
Alexander and Collins were in the Pulaski County jail as of Thursday evening. No bail has been set for either man.
Information for this article was contributed by Ryan Tarinelli for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Metro on 07/06/2018