An altercation with an unknown suspect and a shooting preceded the death of a local man whose body was found in a local cemetery on Monday, according to court records filed Wednesday in the case of a local woman charged with dumping his body there.
Melissa J. Wineland, 37, who was taken into custody shortly after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on multiple felony drug-related offenses, was later charged with tampering with evidence, a felony punishable by up to six years in prison, in connection with moving the body to the cemetery. An article detailing Wineland's drug-offense arrest was published on Page One of Thursday's edition.
Wineland pleaded not guilty to the both the drug-related offenses and the tampering charge during a video arraignment in Garland County District Court on Wednesday. She remained in custody Thursday at the Garland County Detention Center in lieu of bonds totaling $45,000.
The body of Corey Dion Richardson, 31, of Hot Springs, was found Monday morning on a hillside to the east of the cemetery's main entrance at 701 Greenwood Ave. by a resident who was walking his dog. Hot Springs police say Richardson's death is being investigated as a homicide.
According to an affidavit for a search warrant for a residence on North Patterson that was filed in district court Wednesday morning, Richardson had apparent trauma to his body, including a bullet wound to his upper left buttocks. The other trauma was not specified in the affidavit.
At around noon Monday, a witness came forward and told police Wineland had borrowed their car at around 11 p.m. Sunday night and returned it Monday at around 10:30 a.m., confiding to the witness that she had used it to dump Richardson's body in the cemetery.
The witness stated Wineland said Richardson came to her house on North Patterson and an "altercation ensued between him and an unknown suspect," the affidavit said.
As Richardson attempted to flee the residence, Wineland allegedly told the witness, he was shot in the buttocks, a detail at the time known only by investigators.
The affidavit does not state the manner of Richardson's death, or whether it occurred at the North Patterson location.
A large amount of suspected blood was reportedly located in the back seat area of the witness' car, the affidavit said.
The search warrant specifically included forensic evidence, DNA, latent prints, trace evidence, bodily fluids, weapons and shell casings.
Local on 10/27/2017