In the holiday season of 2019, the community of Magnolia, Arkansas, was unsettled by the discovery of the body of 29-year-old Marquis 'Bud' Quatreal Easter. A Black male, Easter was found deceased on a wooded trail on the Tuesday evening before Christmas, a discovery that marked the beginning of a homicide investigation. The scene, located on a popular route between McNeil and Parkway streets, suggested a violent end to the young man's life.
Authorities reported that Easter was found
with a significant head injury. Adding to the mystery, his shoes and wallet were missing from the scene. The circumstances surrounding his death prompted an immediate investigation by the Magnolia Police Department, with his body being sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for a more thorough examination to determine the precise cause of death. While an obituary recorded his date of death as Monday, December 23, 2019, news reports indicated his body was discovered on Tuesday, December 24, 2019.
As the investigation commenced, details regarding any potential suspects or arrests in connection with the death of Marquis Easter were not made publicly available. The lack of information left a community searching for answers and a family grieving their loss during a time typically reserved for celebration. The investigation into the untimely and violent death of the young man continued, leaving a somber note over the small Arkansas town.
