In the quiet town of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, the evening of May 18, 2023, was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of 40-year-old Cedric King. That Thursday night, officers were dispatched to a residence on Sundowner Ranch Avenue around 10:30 p.m. following reports of gunfire. Upon their arrival, they discovered King unresponsive inside the home.
He had been fatally shot.
The investigation swiftly identified Cecedrice Poole, also 40, as the man who had entered the house and opened fire with a rifle, specifically targeting King. The motive behind the deadly encounter was jealousy; Poole was reportedly upset that the mother of his child, who resided at the home, had another man present with his daughter. There were five other people in the house at the time of the shooting, including Poole's own daughter, but none were harmed, indicating that King was the intended victim.
After shooting King, Poole fled the scene in a vehicle, firing at the house as a 17-year-old stood in the front yard. His escape was short-lived, as he crashed into parked cars just a few blocks away. Witnesses saw him exit his vehicle with the rifle before fleeing on foot. Law enforcement located and arrested him shortly thereafter. At the time of his arrest, Poole was found in possession of 26.81 grams of cocaine.
In August 2024, Cecedrice Poole pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, along with a host of other charges from various cases. He was sentenced to a total of 50 years in prison for his crimes, bringing a measure of justice to the family of Cedric King.
