In the early morning hours of December 21, 2025, law enforcement officials in Drew County, Arkansas, were alerted to a violent incident in the Rock Springs community near Wilmar. Deputies and medical personnel received a dispatch call around 12:13 a.m. regarding a shooting at a residence located on Sullivan Road. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders discovered that a 21-year-old male named Noah Long, a resident of Monticello, had sustained severe injuries.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, he succumbed to his wounds and died as a result of the shooting.
Investigators on site quickly moved to identify a suspect in the homicide. During the course of their initial inquiry, they identified William Drew Tadel, a resident of Wilmar, as the alleged shooter. Tadel was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Drew County Detention Facility. Law enforcement officials subsequently charged him with first-degree murder in connection with the death.
Following the arrest, the suspect appeared for a first judicial hearing on December 22, 2025, before Judge Crews Puryear. During the proceedings, a commercial bond was set at $100,000, and Tadel was ordered to comply with specific, though undisclosed, conditions of release. As the investigation remained active with no future court dates immediately scheduled, he remained in custody at the detention facility.
