In the late hours of a Saturday night in Little Rock, Arkansas, the sound of gunshots pierced the air on Pinewood Drive. Responding to the call on September 17, 2016, police discovered the body of 45-year-old Malik Mumit. He was found on the ground next to a motorcycle, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Medical personnel arrived at the scene but were unable to save him, and he was pronounced dead.
The incident marked the 25th homicide in the city that year.
For nearly a year, the case remained without a resolution, becoming another file in the cold case archives of the Little Rock Police Department. However, a renewed effort by the department's newly formed Cold Case Unit brought fresh eyes to the investigation. The unit, composed of four retired detectives who had returned to service, meticulously re-examined forensic evidence and witness statements related to Mumit's death. Their dedicated work began to unravel the mystery that had shrouded the case for months.
The breakthrough came in August 2017 when investigators identified inconsistencies in the account of a person of interest. This led to the arrest of 20-year-old Randtrel Carruthers in connection with the murder of Malik Mumit. Carruthers was taken into custody and held in the Pulaski County Jail without bond. His legal troubles would later escalate when, in November 2017, he faced 141 counts of forgery after being found with a significant amount of counterfeit money. The arrest in Mumit's case highlighted the value of the Cold Case Unit's work in bringing a measure of justice to a family and community that had long awaited answers.
