Trial set for double-killing suspects

FORT SMITH -- Two men charged in a July 26 double murder have been scheduled to go on trial in Sebastian County Circuit Court the week of March 18, according to court records.

One of the men, Marcus Collins, 29, pleaded innocent Wednesday to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated residential burglary. He also pleaded innocent in a separate case to two counts of kidnapping, for which he was scheduled to go on trial during the week of Jan. 22.

Circuit Judge Michael Fitzhugh appointed the public defender during the arraignment to represent Collins and set bail at $600,000 cash.

Also charged with the five offenses is Neirod Medlock, 19, who pleaded innocent to the charges last month. The two men were charged in warrants issued in mid-August. Collins was arrested in Memphis earlier this month. Medlock was in the county jail on other charges when the warrants were issued.

The two are accused in the July 26 shooting death of 26-year-old Brionna Belcher and 43-year-old Jonathan Harris. The two were shot multiple times in Belcher's West Apartments unit on North 50th Street in Fort Smith.

A police affidavit said a witness who was with Medlock and Collins told investigators Medlock said he needed money to pay a ticket and intended to rob someone to get it. The witness said both men were dressed in black and Collins had a gun, the affidavit said.

The men left the Timberline Apartments at 5900 Kinkead Ave. and approached two acquaintances, Myrion Linzy and Patrick Sellers, who were in a car and asked them for a ride to the West Apartments, the affidavit said. Once there, Medlock and Collins got out and went to Belcher's apartment.

A resident of the complex saw the two approach the apartment, a witness told police. The witness heard Belcher scream to leave her alone or leave us alone and then several popping sounds. The two men got back into the car with Linzy and Sellers and drove away.

Back at Timberline Apartments, Collins told a witness he shot Harris and shot Belcher because she saw his face, the affidavit said.

Linzy and Sellers heard the gunshots at West Apartments but were terrified and denied hearing anything when Collins and Medlock questioned them, the affidavit said. On the return to the Timberline Apartments, Collins put a gun to the heads of Linzy and Sellers and threatened to kill them if they revealed what happened, the affidavit said.

The threat constituted kidnapping by restraining them without consent "so as to interfere substantially with [their] liberty with the purpose of facilitating the commission of any felony or flight after the felony," the kidnapping complaint said.

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State Desk on 09/20/2018

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