On the evening of June 8, 2016, Christopher Haynes, a 41-year-old man, was found deceased in his car at his workplace, the Riceland Foods plant in Stuttgart, Arkansas. An administrative assistant arriving for her shift discovered Mr. Haynes in the driver's seat of his maroon Grand Am. The car's window was shattered, and upon closer inspection, it was determined that he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his head, left shoulder, and right forearm.
Investigators from the Arkansas State Police at the scene recovered six. 40-caliber shell casings, indicating the tragic end to his life.
The investigation into the homicide led police to identify a distinctive Dodge Ram dually truck that was seen on security footage at the plant around the time of the murder. This vehicle was eventually traced to Corey Jeffery. Further investigation uncovered that Jeffery's wife was allegedly having an affair with Haynes, which had caused friction in their marriage. Evidence gathered included a. 40-caliber bullet found in the truck, a receipt for the purchase of a handgun and ammunition, and video footage of Jeffery and another individual, Jonathan Dabner, at a gun store.
In August 2018, Corey Jeffery was arrested and charged with the murder of Christopher Haynes. Jonathan Dabner was also identified as a suspect and later pleaded guilty in a separate case to unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle. Jeffery was ultimately convicted of capital murder and first-degree unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle. He was sentenced to life in prison plus seventy years, with an additional fifteen-year enhancement on each count for committing a felony with a firearm. His subsequent appeal, which argued a lack of substantial evidence, was denied by the Arkansas Supreme Court, which affirmed the lower court's decision.
