In the winter of 2017, the community of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, was shaken by the tragic death of Angel Charlene Blackshear. A 39-year-old White/Caucasian woman, she was a familiar and friendly face to many, known for her work as a hairdresser and her role as a dedicated homemaker. Born on January 1, 1978, in nearby Jonesboro, she was a graduate of Walnut Ridge High School and had built her life in the town she called home.
On December 15, 2017, a dispute escalated to a fatal encounter,
and Angel Blackshear was shot and killed. The incident left her family, including her husband Gregg Blackshear, whom she had married the previous year, and her two daughters, Macy and Delaney Penn, in a state of profound grief. The circumstances of her death sent ripples of sorrow and concern throughout the close-knit community. She was laid to rest in Whittaker Cemetery in Walnut Ridge, leaving behind her loving family and many friends to mourn her sudden and violent passing.
The investigation into her death led by the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office moved swiftly. In the weeks that followed, a suspect was identified and taken into custody. Gary Lee Fears, a 57-year-old resident of Walnut Ridge, was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. On February 12, 2018, the Third Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney, Henry Boyce, announced that Fears had been charged with first-degree murder. The legal proceedings that followed sought to bring a measure of justice for a life cut tragically short.
