The fourth of seven suspects arrested in connection with the death of a local man whose body was found dumped at Greenwood Cemetery last year pleaded guilty Monday to her part in hindering the investigation of the case.
Stephanie Ann Shell, 22, of Malvern, who has remained in custody since her arrest Nov. 15, 2017, pleaded guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to one felony count of hindering apprehension or prosecution, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison with nine years suspended, and ordered to pay $170 in court costs.
Shell was charged in connection with the death of Cory Richardson, 31, whose body was found Oct. 23, 2017, next to the cemetery's main entrance at 701 Greenwood Ave.
Three accomplices, all of Hot Springs and all charged with tampering with physical evidence, had pleaded guilty earlier to their charges. Jake Lynn Norwood, 29, pleaded guilty July 23 and was sentenced to six years in prison; Melissa Jere Wineland, 28, pleaded guilty Oct. 8 and was sentenced to six years, with four years suspended; and James Dean Keyser III, 28, pleaded guilty Dec. 3 and was sentenced to five years' probation, fined $500 and ordered to pay $420 in costs.
Police have arrested three other suspects, identified as Steven Wood, 43, Donald Franklin Williams, 55, and John Patrick Walker, 43, all of Hot Springs, who were each charged with first-degree murder in Richardson's death, punishable by up to life in prison.
An autopsy determined Richardson died from a gunshot that entered his upper left buttocks and exited his abdomen, but there was also evidence of blunt force trauma to his head and a stab wound to his left thigh.
Wineland was arrested Oct. 24, 2017, the day after Richardson's body was found, Norwood was arrested Nov. 5, 2017, and Keyser was arrested Nov. 24, 2017. Wood and Shell were arrested together on Nov. 15, 2017. Walker was apprehended on Dec. 19, 2017, in Garland County and Williams was apprehended Dec. 29, 2017, in Rockwall, Texas.
Williams, who was facing several felony charges in Texas at the time of his arrest there, is still awaiting extradition to Hot Springs. Wood is set to stand trial on Feb. 12. A motion by Walker's attorney for a mental evaluation was granted on Oct. 3 and a hearing to determine if he is fit to proceed to trial is set for Feb. 5.
According to previous affidavits, Richardson was killed or severely wounded at 106 N. Patterson St., Wineland's residence, and transported by car to the cemetery. The car was located and searched the day Richardson was found and reportedly had a large amount of blood in the back seat.
Wineland admitted after her arrest that she and Keyser transported the body to the cemetery from her home. She said the two then drove to Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike, where Keyser purchased cleaning products. Then they returned to the house and Keyser, along with others, began cleaning the house while Wineland and Norwood took the car to a car wash and attempted to clean up the blood in it.
According to other witnesses, on the afternoon of Oct. 22, 2017, Richardson used a counterfeit $100 bill to pay Wood for meth, which Wood got from Williams. Later that same day, Williams allegedly arrived at the residence, angry at Wood for accepting the counterfeit bill, and told Wood to locate Richardson and "deal with it," and then left.
Williams and his son-in-law, identified as Walker, later returned armed with handguns and pistol-whipped Richardson, knocking him to the floor. Wood allegedly joined in the attack and hit Richardson who tried to flee out a rear door in the kitchen. At that point, Williams allegedly shot in Richardson's direction.
Williams and Walker were reportedly the only ones in the kitchen with Richardson at the time and continued to beat him before a second shot was fired. The witness said Richardson was face down on the floor, yelling he had been shot as Williams and Walker exited the kitchen.
Williams allegedly began cleaning blood off his hands and the gun, then told witnesses, "y'all better clean this mess up," as he and Walker left the scene.
A witness stated Shell helped Wood drag Richardson's body out of the house. When Shell came back in the house, she reportedly bragged about hitting Richardson with a flashlight when they got outside because Richardson wouldn't get up. She then grabbed a bucket of bleach and began cleaning the house to remove the blood and other evidence.
Local on 12/18/2018