In the late summer of 2018, the small community of Tichnor, Arkansas, was unsettled by the violent death of one of its residents. On August 16th, 55-year-old Bobby Middleton, a White/Caucasian male, was found deceased in the bedroom of his home. The cause of his death was determined to be a single gunshot wound. The initial alert to authorities came from a 911 call made by Middleton's girlfriend, 59-year-old Maria Salers. In the call, Salers admitted to shooting Middleton during the course of an argument.
Upon their arrival at the residence, law enforcement officers took Maria Salers into custody. She was initially held on an investigative hold as the Arkansas County Sheriff's Department began to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. It was revealed that this was not the first time authorities had been called to the home shared by the couple. Sheriff Todd Wright confirmed that deputies had previously responded to the residence for a welfare check and to assist Salers in leaving the home on a prior occasion, hinting at a history of domestic turbulence.
In the wake of the incident, Bobby Middleton's stepdaughter, Rebecca Chambers, voiced her family's distress and frustration with the legal proceedings, particularly concerning the bond amount set for Salers. She also raised questions about the full extent of her stepfather's injuries, suggesting there may have been more to the story than a single gunshot. As the investigation continued, Salers remained in custody, awaiting a decision from the prosecutor on the formal charges to be filed against her in connection with Middleton's death. The community was left to grapple with the tragedy and the unfolding legal drama that followed.
