Details revealed in homicide west of White Hall

The suspect in a Friday afternoon homicide west of White Hall appeared in a Sunday probable cause hearing.

Matthew Lane, 38, of Sheridan is accused of shooting Ricky Brown, 28, also of Sheridan, to death in the vicinity of 1008 Elkins Road. A Jefferson County District Court judge found probable cause for Lane to face a charge of first-degree murder and ordered him held without bond in the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Detention Center, pending another appearance.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s officials identified Brown and announced Lane’s arrest in a news release Sunday evening, adding Coroner Chad Kelley pronounced Brown dead at the scene. Brown’s body has been sent to the state Crime Lab for an autopsy, authorities said.

According to an affidavit by Sheriff’s Investigator Charles White, a deputy responded to a shooting at approximately 12:17 p.m. Friday and met with the caller, who said he heard gunshots near a dead end on Elkins Road. The caller reportedly rode down to the dead end on his four-wheeler and noticed a red or maroon Chevrolet with a loud exhaust being driven by a white male.

Deputies located Brown’s body north of 1008 Elkins Road, the location of the witness’ residence, in the west-side ditch, north of a bridge. According to the affidavit, Brown’s body “had

multiple injuries consistent with gunshot wounds on his upper body,” and “bullet casings were located near the body.”

A witness at the residence reportedly told deputies he heard a gunshot pointing north of the residence, followed by six to seven more shots about a minute later. He conferred to deputies that he saw a maroon Chevy Blazer with a loud exhaust drive by.

White said that video from the dead-end showed a GMC Jimmy making a U-turn with the passenger’s side door swung open without an occupant in the passenger’s front seat.

At about 1:35 p.m., White continued, a sergeant saw a maroon Jimmy, described as the same body style as a Blazer, parked at Huddle House on Sheridan Road in White Hall. The vehicle’s license plate was registered to Brown. The sergeant arrested Lane inside the restaurant, and another sergeant located a green and camouflage shirt in a trash can outside the entrance to Huddle House. The shirt, White wrote, had a large amount of what appeared to be blood on the front of the shirt.

Investigators reportedly found many drops of apparent blood, which was collected as evidence, on the outside of the driver’s side door and “passenger B pillar.” They also reportedly found what was believed to be blood on Lane’s pants on both the front and rear, as well as two drops of a substance believed to be blood on his shoes. Those items were collected as well.

A witness who claimed he noticed Lane get out of his vehicle and “throw something in the trash can next to the building” added that Lane directly went to the bathroom and stayed for nearly 20 minutes before sitting at a table, White wrote.

Lane voluntarily told investigators at the sheriff’s office that Brown “had a hole in his head,” and that they were going to his house to get his insurance card to go to the hospital, the affiant wrote. Lane allegedly added that he told Brown not to fall asleep while driving to Pine Bluff.

White and another investigator met with a woman at a Sheridan address who reportedly told them Lane and Brown arrived there to locate Brown’s insurance card. She added Brown was bleeding down his neck and the injury had been covered by a bandage.

The witness “stated that Ricky was talking and alert, but was ‘talking out of his head’ believing him to be under the influence of drugs,” White wrote. “Ricky stated to [the witness] he had been shot in the ear during a driveby shooting. Ricky got a washcloth and he and Matthew left the residence in Ricky’s GMC Jimmy with Matthew driving Ricky’s vehicle, going to the Pine Bluff hospital.”

White said he saw a White Hall Police photo of a maroon Jimmy with a white male wearing a black tank top, consistent with Lane’s appearance. The photo, White wrote, was taken at 12:43 p.m. at the intersection of Sheridan Road and North Heartwood in White Hall.

Lane’s attorney is expected to be addressed in court today.