In the early morning hours of April 16, 2022, the life of 29-year-old Black male, Markeith Ray 'Hood' Anderson of Stamps, Arkansas, was tragically cut short. A police officer in Stamps discovered Anderson's body just outside a residence at 159 Chestnut Street around 5:30 a.m. He had been fatally shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. The events that led to this violent end reportedly began with a dice game earlier that night.
During the game, it is alleged that Tony L.
Cheatham, a 41-year-old also from Stamps and known as 'Flea Bag,' lost a substantial sum of money to Anderson. In an attempt to cover his losses, Cheatham purportedly pawned his car to Anderson for $1,000, with an agreement that he could buy it back for $1,500. A dispute later arose when Anderson allegedly refused to sell the car back to Cheatham, escalating the disagreement into a physical altercation.
According to Cheatham's account of the incident, during their struggle, Anderson drew a firearm and fired a shot at him. Cheatham claimed that he was able to wrestle the gun away from Anderson and then fired it in his direction, resulting in Anderson's death. In the aftermath of the shooting, local police arrested Cheatham.
Cheatham was taken into custody and held at the Lafayette County Jail, where he was charged with manslaughter. His bail was set at $150,000. The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division took the lead on the investigation into the shooting, with the intention of submitting their findings to the Lafayette County prosecuting attorney for further legal review. A Celebration of Life service for Markeith Anderson was held on April 23, 2022, at the Lafayette County Auditorium in Lewisville, Arkansas, followed by his burial at Crossroads Cemetery.
