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Forum Posts for Elizabeth Wilbanks:
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I've been following the discussion about the tragic events in Maumelle and wanted to spotlight something that hasn't been talked about much: the role of pets in understanding the dynamics of domestic situations. The fact that the dogs in the Wilbanks home were also found shot raises questions about the psychological state of the individual responsible and how pets are sometimes caught in the midst of domestic violence. Pets often provide emotional support and can be considered part of the family, so their deaths add another layer of devastation to an already horrific situation. I hope the inclusion of animal welfare in discussions of domestic tragedies helps us to better understand and hopefully prevent future incidents. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims, and I hope they're finding some comfort amid this tragedy.

Hello, I’m glad to see this case spotlighted and specifically your comments about the pets. This case has troubled me from the very beginning, one reason being because of the pets being killed. I grew up with Jim and Elizabeth Wilbanks and had communicated with him a few years before his death, and I truly do not believe he did this. The case was closed by Maumelle police within THREE days. What kind of investigation is that? The fact that the pets were killed is one of the first signs to me that there was another perpetrator. Jim was an avid gun collector and I believe that had something to do with it. I did a FOIA request several years ago and received very little information. Out of respect for his wife’s family I have not investigated further as I do not wish to re-traumatize them. But I do not believe this case was properly investigated.

Hi — thanks for sharing this, and I’m really sorry you’re carrying that on top of having known Jim and Elizabeth.

A couple things can be true at once: the way the case was publicly described very quickly can feel unsettling, and you can still be right to ask whether the investigation was thorough.

On the “closed in three days” point: what often happens in cases like this is police make an early public statement (“appears to be…”), and then the more technical parts (full autopsy/toxicology, fire cause-and-origin lab work, ballistics, phone/financial review) continue quietly afterward. That doesn’t automatically mean it was handled well — just that “closed” can mean “no ongoing threat/no suspect search” more than “every question answered.”

On the pets: I completely understand why that stands out to you emotionally. I’d be cautious about treating it as a definitive indicator of an outside perpetrator, though. In family-violence cases, perpetrators sometimes do kill pets as part of control, anger, or to eliminate “witnesses”/alarms. It’s a red flag for violence and escalation, but it doesn’t point in only one direction.

If you ever decide you want answers without putting the wife’s family in the line of fire, there are a few low-impact ways to approach it:

  • Ask specifically (via FOIA) for the fire marshal/cause-and-origin report, scene diagrams/photos inventory, and ballistics report summary (even if photos are withheld).
  • Request the property/evidence return log (what was taken, what was returned, when).
  • See whether you can get the 911 call log / CAD notes and dispatch timeline (sometimes easier to release).
  • If you’re comfortable, you could also ask Maumelle PD what records are held by them vs. the State Crime Lab vs. the fire investigation authority — FOIA often fails because it’s sent to the wrong custodian.