In the late autumn of 2019, the life of 46-year-old Mac Dale Pennington of Van Buren, Arkansas, came to a tragic and violent end. The circumstances surrounding his death began to unfold when a missing person report was filed in his name. The investigation took a grim turn on Friday, November 22, 2019, when what appeared to be human remains were discovered on Hollis Lake Road in a rural area of Crawford County.
The Crawford County Sheriff's Office had been actively investigating
Pennington's disappearance and had received an early tip suggesting he may have been shot and killed. This information led them to a person of interest, George Newton of Mulberry. As investigators delved deeper, they gathered sufficient evidence, including the recovery of the weapon believed to have been used in the crime, to move forward.
Following his arrest, George Newton provided a statement to investigators that detailed the location of Pennington's body. On Monday, November 25, the Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed the identity of the remains as those of Mac Dale Pennington. His family was then notified of the heartbreaking conclusion to their search.
George Newton was subsequently charged with a litany of offenses, including first-degree murder, terroristic threatening, possession of drug paraphernalia, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. A judge set his bond at $2,100,000, reflecting the severe nature of the allegations against him in connection with the death of Mac Dale Pennington.
