In the late summer of 2016, the community of Paris, Arkansas, was shaken by the violent and untimely death of one of its own. On August 17, 29-year-old Matthew Jay Self-Phillips, a White/Caucasian male, was discovered deceased in the front yard of a residence on North Six and a Half Mile Road. Law enforcement responded to a report of a shooting and found Self-Phillips with a fatal gunshot wound.
The Logan County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with the Arkansas State Police, immediately launched an investigation into the homicide.
As investigators delved into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, a person of interest emerged: 38-year-old Zachariah Gray Chamberlain. Authorities soon uncovered that Chamberlain had a prior domestic abuse conviction in Texas, which legally barred him from possessing firearms in Arkansas. This discovery led to his initial arrest on charges of possession of a firearm by certain persons. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Logan County Sheriff's Office, the Arkansas State Police, and the 15th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Following a thorough investigation into the events that transpired on that August day, the evidence prompted authorities to charge Zachariah Gray Chamberlain with manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of Matthew Self-Phillips. His bond was set at $75,000. The case brought to light significant concerns within the Paris community regarding firearm possession laws and the enforcement of such regulations, particularly for individuals with a history of domestic violence. Matthew Self-Phillips, a graduate of Paris High School who had studied criminology, was remembered by his family, including his daughter, as a loving father.
