In the quiet, early morning hours of December 3, 2023, a tragic event unfolded in the small town of Wilmar, Arkansas, forever altering the lives of two families. It was around 2:30 a.m. when the Drew County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call that led them to the old Wilmar School on North 5th Street. There, they discovered a grim scene that would launch a months-long investigation.
Suquorey Pitts, Jr., a 25-year-old Black man from Dumas, was found deceased in the front passenger seat of a vehicle parked in the school's driveway. Not far away, another man, 21-year-old Independence Young of McGehee, was found lying on the street. Both men had suffered from what appeared to be gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Arkansas State Police's Criminal Investigation Division was called in to lead the inquiry into the double homicide. For months, the case remained under active investigation, leaving a community searching for answers. Suquorey, who was born on December 27, 1997, was remembered as a vibrant individual, the 'life of the party' with a smile that could light up any room. He was a 2016 graduate of Lakeside High School and had earned an associate degree in computer technology from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. A devoted father to three children, his hobbies included traveling and promoting music, but his greatest joy was spending time with his kids.
A significant breakthrough in the case came on the evening of July 30, 2024. At approximately 7:25 p.m., Arkansas State Police troopers conducted a traffic stop on a black Dodge Charger at the intersection of Arkansas Highways 65 and 82 in Lake Village. A passenger in the vehicle was identified as 25-year-old Taiwan Collins Jr. of McGehee. Collins was wanted by the Monticello Police Department in connection with the December 2023 double homicide.
Following his identification during the traffic stop, Taiwan Collins Jr. was arrested without incident. He was subsequently transported to the Drew County Detention Center, where he is being held on two counts of Capital Murder for the deaths of Suquorey Pitts, Jr. and Independence Young. The arrest marked a pivotal moment in the investigation, bringing a sense of progression for the grieving families and the community that had been impacted by the violent loss of two young men.
