In the early morning hours of July 18, 2019, the quiet of an Atkins, Arkansas home was shattered by a fatal gunshot. Inside, 52-year-old Edward Eugene Arnold was found dead by Pope County deputies who were responding to a distressing 911 call made by his wife. The call, received around 3:45 a.m., reported that her husband had been shot by their daughter at their residence in the 8000 block of U.S.
Highway 64 East.
A 15-year-old female was taken into custody at the scene and subsequently faced a first-degree murder charge in connection with Arnold's death. Following the incident, she was held at the Yell County Juvenile Detention Center. Prosecutors announced their intention to charge the juvenile as an adult in the shooting death of her father.
Edward 'Eddy' Eugene Arnold, Jr., a resident of Atkins, was known by loved ones as a man who cherished God, his family, and the outdoors. Born in Minden, Louisiana, he was a retired former member of the military with a passion for fishing and hunting. His obituary described him as having a generous heart, a man who enjoyed life to the fullest and was deeply loved by his family and friends. He was a member of the Atkins Free Will Baptist Church. The investigation into his death revealed a prior incident where Arnold had confronted and physically assaulted his daughter's 18-year-old boyfriend after finding him in the house.
