Martha Lassiter Barber, an 82-year-old white female from Beebe, Arkansas, was found deceased in her home on Kamak Drive on the evening of August 16, 2025. A retired school teacher, she was discovered by police who were dispatched to her residence at approximately 5:50 p.m. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene by the White County Coroner's Office.
Born on December 9, 1942, in Cave City, Arkansas, Martha was a graduate of Cave City High
School and Arkansas State University. She had a long career in education, teaching at several schools before retiring from Sylvan Hills Elementary. Following her retirement, she continued to work as a substitute teacher in Beebe. Known as an avid sports fan, particularly of the Arkansas Razorbacks, she also found joy in gardening.
In the wake of the discovery, investigators with the Beebe Police Department quickly focused their attention on events that transpired within the house that evening. Shortly after their arrival, officers took her 51-year-old son, Christopher Michael Barber, into custody. He was subsequently booked into the White County Detention Center on a charge of capital murder and is being held without bond pending his first court appearance as the investigation continues.
