In the summer of 2017, the Spring Valley Apartments in Little Rock, Arkansas, became the scene of a tragedy that cut short the life of a man known affectionately by his neighbors. On the evening of July 11th, police were called to the apartment complex located at 8701 Interstate 30, initially responding to a report of a possible suicide. However, upon entering the residence of 64-year-old Billy Thornton, they discovered a grim reality.
Thornton had been shot multiple times, and it was clear to investigators that this was no suicide, but a homicide. The case was quickly handed over to homicide detectives as a sense of unease settled over the community, which had already been shaken by a double homicide in the same complex just a few months prior.
Billy Thornton was a familiar and welcome sight to many who lived in the Spring Valley Apartments. He was known as 'The Candy Man,' a friendly resident who sold sodas, candy, and cigarettes from his home, saving his neighbors a trip to the store in the summer heat. His violent death left many in the complex shocked and fearful, wondering who could have committed such an act against a man described as kind and well-liked. For a time, the investigation into his murder seemed to yield no answers, leaving a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the case.
A year later, in July of 2018, a significant breakthrough brought renewed hope for justice. The Little Rock Police Department announced the arrests of two brothers, 25-year-old Michael Collins and 21-year-old William Alexander. Both men were charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery in connection with Billy Thornton's death. The arrests brought a sense of relief to the community, though the details of what led investigators to the two brothers were not made public. The suspects were already in custody at the Pulaski County jail, as they were also implicated in the murders of a woman and her two young children that had occurred in December of the previous year.
