In the quiet town of Taylor, Arkansas, the life of 53-year-old Douglas Scott Harwell was brought to a tragic and violent end in April of 2016. A man known for his love of hunting and fishing, Harwell had worked for over two decades as a gauger for several oil companies. His life, however, was cut short when authorities were called to his home on Highway 160 on April 14th to investigate his death, which was quickly determined to be a homicide.
The investigation into Harwell's death led
law enforcement to two 16-year-old suspects, De'Kota Despain and Keaton Taylor. In a chilling confession, Despain detailed the events of April 13th, the day before Harwell's body was discovered. He admitted to being at Harwell's home with Taylor, where he pulled out a. 380 pistol. The initial shot, he claimed, was accidental, striking Harwell in the back. What followed, however, was a deliberate act of violence.
According to Despain's account to investigators, after the first shot, he then shot Harwell in the head. The two teenagers then dragged his body into the house and left him. In a later interview, Despain altered his story, claiming he only fired one shot and that Taylor fired the second. The motive for this brutal act appeared to be robbery, as Despain admitted to returning to Harwell's home to steal several guns, a watch, and a cell phone. He then loaded the stolen items into Harwell's own truck and drove to Magnolia.
The investigation revealed that the two teenagers had allegedly been planning the crime for several days prior to carrying it out. Both De'Kota Despain and Keaton Taylor were arrested and faced a litany of serious charges, including capital murder, aggravated residential burglary, aggravated robbery, and theft of property. Despite their ages, both were to be charged as adults. Despain was taken into custody and held without bond, while Taylor was located and held in Louisiana pending his extradition back to Arkansas to face justice for his role in the death of Douglas Harwell.
