In the summer of 2021, concern began to mount for 44-year-old Trisha Mills Carnley, a Caucasian female from Texarkana, Arkansas, when her family found themselves unable to reach her. This unsettling silence prompted them to report her as a missing person on the morning of June 21st. When Miller County Sheriff's deputies initially went to her home on Miller County Road 10, they found the residence secured with no answer from within.
The situation took a grim turn later that afternoon, around 1:30 p.m., when investigators, accompanied by family members, were compelled to force their way into the home. Inside, they made the tragic discovery of Trisha's body.
Preliminary investigations quickly indicated that Trisha had died from a single gunshot wound, and her death was treated as a homicide. Her remains were transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for a more thorough examination to determine the official cause and manner of death. As the investigation unfolded, suspicion fell upon her 54-year-old husband, Curtis Jay Carnley. Family members recounted being at the Carnley residence for a barbecue the evening before Trisha was found, on June 20th. They told investigators that Curtis had been highly intoxicated and had been involved in an argument with his wife. This information, coupled with other evidence gathered at the scene, led authorities to seek an arrest warrant for Curtis.
The day after his wife's body was discovered, on June 22, 2021, a warrant was issued for Curtis Carnley's arrest on a charge of first-degree murder. He was apprehended without incident that same afternoon after being seen walking along a county road. He was initially held without bond. Several months later, in October 2021, his bond was set at $250,000 with the stipulation that he resides with his sister and has no contact with Trisha's family. However, in November of the same year, Curtis violated these conditions when he was found back at the property where the crime occurred, leading to his re-arrest. His trial was subsequently scheduled to take place in Miller County Circuit Court.
