On July 26, 2018, 24-year-old Brionna ShaNeece Belcher and 43-year-old Jonathan Harris were found deceased in Belcher's apartment at the West Apartments complex on North 50th Street in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Both victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that the motive behind the murders was robbery.
According to court records, two suspects, 19-year-old Neirod Medlock and 29-year-old Marcus Collins, planned to rob Harris for money. Belcher was tragically killed because she had seen their faces.
Witnesses reported that on the night of the murders, Medlock and Collins were seen armed with guns at the apartment complex. They had asked friends for a ride to Belcher's apartment, and after gunshots were heard, the suspects returned to the vehicle and threatened their friends at gunpoint to ensure their silence.
Medlock was arrested on August 16, 2018, and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of residential aggravated burglary. Collins was apprehended on September 10, 2018, in Memphis, Tennessee, after a nationwide manhunt. He faced similar charges upon extradition to Arkansas.
Both suspects were held at the Sebastian County Detention Center, awaiting trial for their alleged involvement in the deaths of Brionna Belcher and Jonathan Harris. The case underscored the dangers of violent crime and the impact it has on the community.
