In the autumn of 2016, the life of Mike King, a man remembered by his daughter as having the biggest heart, was tragically cut short in his Rudy, Arkansas mobile home. Remembered by his daughter, Kasey King, as a good man who made some poor choices, he was a loving father and grandfather who was always ready to help someone in need. His sister, Linda King, also recalled his good nature.
The circumstances of his death were violent and brutal.
Mike King was shot in the stomach, and in an attempt to conceal the crime, his mobile home was set on fire. The investigation into his death led authorities to Jeremy Brake. Prosecutors built a case against Brake, accusing him of the murder and the subsequent arson. Though the firearm used in the shooting was never recovered, the evidence presented was compelling enough to move forward with a trial.
In March of 2018, a jury found Jeremy Brake guilty of second-degree murder, arson, tampering with physical evidence, using a firearm during the commission of a crime, and endangering the welfare of a minor. Despite his daughter’s insistence that he was not the man prosecutors portrayed him to be, Brake was sentenced to a total of 43 years in prison for the array of charges. With some of the sentences set to run concurrently, his expected time to be served is 17 years, with the possibility of parole in less than five years. The verdict brought a measure of closure to King's family, who spoke of the enduring pain of their loss and the ripple effect of the crime on both their family and the family of the convicted.
