Delay requested in murder case

The attorney representing a former Omaha, Ark., high school principal charged in his wife’s murder has requested another continuance.

Shane Wilkinson of Bentonville, the attorney for Rocky Brian Dodson, filed the motion on Thursday in Boone County Circuit Court saying he has an “unavoidable conflict” with the pretrial hearing date of Feb. 9 because he was recently appointed to serve on the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct on that date.

“Undersigned counsel regretfully asks that the pretrial hearing date be rescheduled,” wrote Wilkinson, noting that a jury trial date wasn’t scheduled in the case.

The jury trial was originally set for Sept. 26, 2022, but 14th Judicial Circuit Judge John Putman continued it several times at Wilkinson’s request. In his motions for continuance, Wilkinson repeatedly cited “voluminous” discovery and an expert witness pathologist who was reviewing the case and preparing his report.

On Aug. 25, the Arkansas Supreme Court appointed retired Circuit Judge William R. Wright to serve as a special judge in the case. No explanation was given in the court docket for the change of judges.

Dodson, 53, is charged with second-degree murder in the March 6, 2022, death of his wife, Amanda Dodson, 36. The charge carries a sentence of six to 30 years in prison, if convicted.

Police and prosecutors believe Rocky Dodson hit his wife in the neck, crushing tracheal cartilage and causing her death, according to Boone County Circuit Court documents. He called 911 to report her death.

Superintendent Ryan Huff put Dodson on administrative leave after learning of his March 10, 2022, arrest. Dodson, who was also the Omaha High School boys basketball coach, resigned from the school district at the end of April 2022.

Huff said Amanda Dodson had worked as the principal’s secretary at Omaha High School but left that job before Rocky Dodson became principal in August 2021.

Rocky Dodson has pleaded innocent and is free on $250,000 bond.

According to his Facebook page, Rocky Dodson is from Mount Judea in Newton County and graduated from Harding University in 1993. Dodson is a former assistant principal, athletic director and boys basketball and track coach at Cotter High School, according to his Facebook page.

Omaha is 3 miles south of the Missouri state line.