In the summer of 2015, the quiet community of Conway, Arkansas, was shaken by the deaths of 66-year-old Robert Cogdell and his wife, Patricia. Concerns arose on July 22nd when Robert, the Public Works Director for the City of Maumelle, failed to show up for work. A welfare check at their home on Quail Run Circle led to a grim discovery; the couple was found fatally shot in a wooded area behind their house.
Investigators believe the murders occurred the previous night, on July 21, 2015.
The investigation revealed a brutal sequence of events. Robert Cogdell was reportedly shot multiple times inside their home. His wife, Patricia, was shot in the garage while she was in her car. After the initial attack, it is believed one of the assailants shot Robert again to ensure he was dead. Their bodies were then moved from the house and garage to the woods.
The ensuing investigation led to the arrests of four teenagers. At the center of the plot was the Cogdells' 14-year-old grandson, Justin Shane Staton. Also arrested was his 17-year-old friend, Hunter John Drexler. Two other teens, 17-year-old Conner Atchley and Anastasia Roberts, were also taken into custody in connection with the murders. Authorities believe the motive for the killings was a planned robbery, a scheme allegedly concocted by Staton and Drexler while they were in a juvenile detention facility together. They had reportedly planned to steal a large sum of money from the couple.
All four teenagers were charged as adults. Justin Staton pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, as well as robbery-related charges, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to testify against the other defendants. Hunter Drexler, who was 17 at the time of the murders, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2018 and received a 25-year prison sentence with an additional 15 years suspended. Conner Atchley also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Anastasia Roberts also entered a guilty plea in connection with the murders.
