In May of 2023, 80-year-old Josey Boyd, a female former hairdresser, was found deceased in her Jonesboro, Arkansas home alongside her husband of over 50 years, Larry Boyd. The Craighead County Sheriff's Department discovered the couple on the morning of May 8, 2023, and immediately began investigating their deaths as a double homicide.
Authorities soon identified a suspect, issuing a warrant for the arrest of Jonathan Dean Boyd, who was Larry Boyd's son and Josey's stepson.
The 62-year-old Paragould resident was considered armed and dangerous before his apprehension by Greene County deputies and Paragould police. Following his arrest, Jonathan Boyd was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and theft of a firearm in connection with the deaths. His bond was set at $5 million.
The case against Jonathan Dean Boyd proceeded for a time, built on what prosecutors described as strong circumstantial evidence. However, in a significant turn of events in June of 2025, the charges against him were dismissed. The decision to nolle prosequi the charges was made after new crime lab results became available. This allowed for the investigation into the murders of Josey and Larry Boyd to continue, and Jonathan Boyd was released from the Craighead County Detention Center. The investigation into the double homicide remains ongoing.
