Two trials in fatal drive-by shooting in Arkansas delayed, combined

Trials for two suspects accused in a fatal drive-by shooting in Ashdown have been consolidated and delayed indefinitely.

They were originally scheduled for June 18 in the Little River County Courthouse in Ashdown.

Joshua King, 20, and Brady Winship, 19, both of Sevier County, have been charged with the July 16 shooting of Desmond Smith, 19, who died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Samari Covington, 19, was wounded in the arm but recovered.

Q. Byrum Hurst, the attorney for King, will be on a trip from Thursday through June 18.

Mickey Buchanan, the attorney for Winship, asked for a delay because of a report regarding gunshot residue that makes it necessary for Winship to obtain an expert. No timetable was listed in the court documents about rescheduling the trials for King and Winship.

Tenescha Wilkerson, 18, is also charged in the fatal shooting. Wilkerson has a pretrial hearing set for July 17 and a trial date of July 23.

King is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree battery and unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle. Winship and Wilkerson are both charged with accomplice to second-degree murder, first-degree battery and unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle.

A youth was also charged as an accomplice. Information was not released.

Ashdown police were dispatched to a home at 195 Washington St. about 1 a.m. July 16 regarding a shooting.

According to initial reports, several people in a red Dodge Charger drove by the home looking for someone.

All four suspects said during interviews that King wanted to stop at the house so they could fight, according to the arrest affidavit. Several people walked out of the residence and were frightened by the group. At least two suspects told authorities that King fired a weapon at the group from the vehicle as Winship was driving away.

An officer recovered a 9mm shell casing at the scene and notified the surrounding law enforcement agencies.

The suspected vehicle was stopped by Sevier County sheriff's office deputies and a De Queen police officer several hours later near De Queen.

The four occupants of the car were taken into custody without incident.

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State Desk on 06/04/2018

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