Bond hearing held for suspect in murder case with local ties

The case of the shooting death of El Dorado business owner Kenneth James Long advanced slightly earlier this month, when a bond hearing was held for suspect Jennifer Nicole Perkins.

The incident occurred in Union Parish, Louisiana on Dec. 1. Long was the owner of Long’s Roofing and Sheet Metal Works in El Dorado. Union Parish Sheriff Dusty Gates indicated that Perkins and Long were in a relationship together in an interview with the News-Times following the incident.

According to the Union Parish Clerk of Court, the bond hearing on Thursday, Dec. 10 resulted in Perkins being issued a $50,000 bond for the charges of second-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm.

Perkins’ attorney Shawn Alford confirmed the bond amount.

Alford was unwilling to release many details about the defense, but did reference a history of domestic abuse in the relationship.

“My client was a long-suffering victim of domestic abuse,” Alford said.

Court documents obtained by the News-Times show that Long was arrested for second-degree aggravated battery and false imprisonment of Perkins in May of this year.

The documents also show that a protective order was issued for Perkins as a condition of Long’s probation, applicable from Sept. 15, 2020 until Sept. 15, 2022.

In the same Dec. 2 interview with the NewsTimes, Sheriff Gates said his office received a 911 call around 3:45 a.m. the day prior regarding a shooting at a residence on Highway 828, near Farmerville. Upon arrival, a deputy found Long lying on the floor with a gunshot wound. He was transported to the Union General Hospital in Farmerville, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, Gates said.

“The investigation revealed that Perkins and Long were engaged in a domestic argument. During that argument, Perkins retrieved a shotgun and shot Long,” Gates said.

The next hearing in the case is currently set for Feb. 17, 2021.