A Pocahontas woman was arrested in connection with the death of former state Sen. Linda Collins, authorities said Friday night.
Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, 48, of Pocahontas was in custody, though no charges had been filed late Friday evening. Criminal charges are pending, said Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler.
The family of Linda Collins released a statement late Friday about the arrest.
"This evening our family received news that an arrest was made in connection to the ongoing investigation," the statement said. "We are sickened and upset that someone so close to Linda, would be involved in such a terrible, heartless crime.
"The family is very confident that the Randolph County Sheriff's Department and the Arkansas State Police will continue to work diligently to bring justice to this case. We would like to thank everyone for the continued prayers and thoughts for our family during this difficult time."
Sadler said more information about the homicide -- including Collins' cause of death -- will not be released until the case is turned over to the 3rd Judicial Circuit prosecuting attorney's office.
He said the investigation is very "fluid" and he could not anticipate when charges would be announced against O'Donnell.
When asked whether the Arkansas State Police could clarify the relationship between O'Donnell and Collins, Sadler said none of the investigators are "prepared to say with certainty that there is a connection at all and that this was not a chance encounter."
As of 7:20 p.m. Friday, Sadler said O'Donnell had not yet been booked into a jail, and would not specify to which jail she would be transported.
Collins' visitation was Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sutton Free Will Baptist Church in Pocahontas, according to Fears Family Funeral Home's obituary. Her funeral will be today.
Collins served as a Republican senator for District 19, which includes Independence, Izard, Sharp and portions of Fulton and Randolph counties, from 2015 until this year. Before that, she served in the Arkansas House from 2011 to 2013.
The Randolph County sheriff's office requested the aid of the Arkansas State Police on June 4 after finding the body of 57-year-old Collins outside her home at 4023 W. Arkansas 90 in Pocahontas. Sheriff's deputies had responded to a call about a body there.
The state of decay had initially prevented investigators from making a positive identification of the body. The state Crime Laboratory later confirmed that the body was that of the former state senator.
Circuit Judge Harold Erwin signed a gag order on June 5, preventing the release of information, including law enforcement and medical reports. No more information was released until Friday.
The profile picture on a Facebook page under O'Donnell's name shows the suspect posing with Collins. The profile picture was updated on Monday, six days after Collins' body was found.
The man listed as O'Donnell's boyfriend on social media also posted a photo of himself, O'Donnell and Collins without a caption on June 5.
Posts from May 2018 show O'Donnell and others campaigning on the side of a road for Collins during her last re-election race.
Before her body was found, Collins had not posted on social media since May 28, which Collins' former campaign spokesman Ken Yang said on June 4 was strange for her, as she normally posted at least once daily.
According to Arkansas property records, the land where Collins was found is owned by Collins and her former husband, Philip Smith.
Philip Smith retired as a judge in the 3rd Judicial Circuit, which includes Randolph County, in 2017.
The couple separated in 2016 and filed for divorce the following year. The couple married in 1995 and have two adult children.
A Section on 06/15/2019