On a grim evening in Little Rock, Arkansas, the life of 18-year-old Steven Norris McClendon was tragically cut short. On August 22, 2019, the young white male, known to his loved ones as 'Stevo,' was discovered deceased inside his home on Wilkerson Drive. Deputies from the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office had been dispatched to the residence following reports of gunfire in the area. Upon their arrival, they found McClendon, a recent graduate of Joe T.
Robinson High School, had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. The initial investigation involved collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses, but for a considerable time, the case remained without a resolution, leaving a grieving family searching for answers.
For years, the investigation into Steven McClendon's death continued, with his family yearning for justice. His mother, Tina, voiced the family's ongoing pain and their inability to find peace while the case was unsolved. The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office continued to seek assistance from the public, at one point offering a reward for information that could lead to an arrest and conviction in the homicide case. The lack of progress in the immediate aftermath left a cloud of uncertainty over the circumstances surrounding the young man's violent death.
A significant breakthrough in the case finally came in early 2025. On January 22, authorities announced the arrests of two individuals, 25-year-old Zachary McMillan and 24-year-old Valerie Ferry, in connection with McClendon's murder. Both were taken into custody and booked at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility on charges of capital murder. This development marked a pivotal moment in the long-standing investigation, bringing a renewed sense of hope for justice for Steven McClendon and his family.
The progress in the investigation did not stop there. Shortly after the initial arrests, a third suspect was apprehended. On February 7, 2025, 25-year-old Joshua Dyer was arrested and also charged with capital murder in relation to McClendon's death. Dyer had been in custody in San Diego, California, and was awaiting extradition back to Arkansas to face the charges. With all three suspects in custody, the Pulaski County Sheriff expressed that a significant step toward achieving justice for Steven McClendon and his family had been taken, although the investigation remains ongoing.
