In the quiet early morning hours of April 6, 2018, in Garland County, Arkansas, the life of 27-year-old Jessica McConnell was tragically cut short. Deputies were dispatched to the 6400 block of Park Avenue near Fountain Lake just before 4 a.m. after receiving a call about a shooting and someone yelling for help. Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene.
Jessica McConnell and her husband, 31-year-old Franklin McConnell Jr., were both found deceased, having suffered from apparent gunshot wounds.
Jessica, a Certified Nurse Aid at Heritage of Hot Springs Health and Rehab, was a mother to a son and a daughter. She was born on November 6, 1990, in Hope, Arkansas. The investigation into the incident revealed a murder-suicide scenario. Authorities reported that Franklin McConnell Jr. shot his wife, Jessica, and another man, 41-year-old James Long, before turning the gun on himself.
James Long was found at the scene with injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The Garland County Sheriff's Department investigated the violent encounter that left two dead and one injured. No arrests were made as the suspect, Franklin McConnell Jr., died at the scene.
