Suspect facing murder charge

Fayetteville man arrested in killing

FAYETTEVILLE — Police arrested a Fayetteville man on a charge of first-degree murder after a man was shot to death late Sunday in the south part of town.

Police received a call at 10:28 p.m. of a shooting at 234 S. Willow Ave. A 36-year-old man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a single gunshot wound, according to police.

Marlan Smith, 32, of 280 E. 12th St. was arrested about 3:15 p.m. Monday near his residence after he was identified as a suspect in the shooting.

Sgt. Anthony Murphy, a police spokesman, said the shooting took place inside the Willow Avenue home. Murphy said the suspect and the dead man knew each other.

Police didn’t release the name of the man who died. The body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Little Rock for an autopsy, according to the Washington County coroner’s office.

Sunday’s shooting is the second fatal shooting in Fayetteville this year. Dekota Harvey is charged in the death of Elizabeth Dawson on March 14 at 900 N. Leverett St. in what police said was a domestic incident. Harvey also faces charges in the shooting of Courtney Willie, who was also at the apartment. He pleaded innocent to murder charges and remains in the Washington County jail.

Murphy said there was one fatal shooting in the city in 2018. Christopher Rankin was charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 1 death of Trenton Coney in a parking lot at 548 W. Dickson Ave. Rankin remains in the Washington County jail. He pleaded innocent, and his next court appearance is set for May 15.

According to the coroner’s office, there have been eight homicides in Washington County this year.