On the evening of April 9, 2025, a tragic shooting at the Foxfire Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas, claimed the life of 51-year-old Todd Elliott Jewell, a white male. The incident, which occurred at approximately 7:41 p.m. at the establishment located at 421 N. 10th St., also resulted in the death of another man, 42-year-old Brian Jones. Fort Smith Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire and discovered both Jewell and Jones with gunshot wounds.
They were transported to a local hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led law enforcement to a suspect, 45-year-old Nephesh Ruach of Spiro, Oklahoma. He was apprehended the following day, on April 10, hiding in a residence on North 38th Street in Fort Smith. A task force comprising the Fort Smith Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, Arkansas State Police, and the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office captured Ruach after he attempted to flee on foot. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Further details emerged regarding the circumstances leading up to the fatal shooting. The owner of the Foxfire Club, Donald Lowe, revealed that Ruach had been a customer for eight years but had been previously banned from the club. On the night of the incident, a new bartender, unaware of the ban, did not ask Ruach to leave. Ruach pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him on April 23. The investigation into the case is ongoing.
