On a summer day in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the lives of two individuals were tragically cut short in a violent encounter. Forty-three-year-old Jonathan Harris and a 24-year-old woman, Brionna Belcher, were discovered deceased on July 26, 2018, at an apartment complex. Both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The grim discovery launched a police investigation that would uncover a deadly plot motivated by robbery.
Authorities quickly identified two suspects in the double homicide:
29-year-old Marcus Collins and 19-year-old Neirod Medlock. The investigation revealed that the duo had allegedly planned to rob Harris to get money. According to court documents, their intention was to steal money from Harris to pay for a ticket. Belcher was tragically killed because she had witnessed the crime and seen their faces.
Witnesses reported seeing two men, later identified as Collins and Medlock, at the apartment complex on the night of the murders. They were seen exiting a white Buick, wearing hoodies, with one having a bandana covering his face. After the shooting, they allegedly returned to the vehicle and fled.
The investigation led to the arrest of Neirod Medlock on August 16, 2018. He faced serious charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and aggravated residential burglary. Marcus Collins, however, went on the run, sparking a nationwide search. He was eventually apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2018. Collins was extradited to Arkansas to face similar charges to his alleged accomplice. Both men were booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center to await trial for their roles in the deaths of Jonathan Harris and Brionna Belcher.
