Information on Beverly Carter’s phone and other electronic data provided the clues to track down the suspect in her murder, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Simon Haynes said at a press conference today. KARK Channel 4 provided livestream coverage of the press conference, held at the Pulaski County Jail.
Haynes said investigators believe Arron Lewis, 33, of Jacksonville, the suspect in the Crye-Leike realtor’s abduction and killing, acted alone. He would not reveal when or how Carter, abducted Thursday, died, saying investigators were waiting on results from the crime lab.
Haynes also said that “Trevor,” the person suspect Arron Lewis mentioned as a “co-defendant” to the press last night and identified as Trevor McKamie by KATV, had been interviewed, was cooperative and was not a suspect.
Why was Carter, a resident of Scott, targeted? “It was more or less a target of opportunity,” Haynes said. He said Lewis was a stranger to Carter, and robbery appeared to be the motive. He also said Lewis was the person who made the appointment asking Carter to show him the house on Old River Road, where she was abducted from.
Pulaski Prosecutor Larry Jegley and Pulaski Sheriff Doc Holliday also spoke, praising the work of the law enforcement agencies that worked to find Carter. “We knew her life was at stake,” Holliday said. “We wanted to do everything we could to find her while she was still alive.” He said they were hopeful throughout; “we didn’t know for sure until around midnight that she was not alive.”
Fox 16 also reported that at his arraignment this morning, Lewis said he pleaded not guilty because his lawyer told him to. Here’s the conversation Fox reported:
Reporter: Arron are you hurting for some reason?.
Lewis: Yeah, I got in a car wreck the other day. I haven’t been to the hospital yet.
Reporter: You pleaded not guilty. Why?
Lewis: Because that’s what my lawyer said to do.
Reporter: Did you in the courtroom originally say you wanted to get it over with, that you wanted to plead guilty?.
Lewis: Yeah
Reporter: Why?
Lewis: I just want this all over with.
Reporter: So, did your lawyer basically encourage you to plead guilty.
Lewis: I’m just sorry it all happened. I just want it all over.