River City Bistro, alliance raising money for family of slain woman

FORT SMITH — The River City Bistro is partnering with the Arkansas Family Alliance to raise money for the family of Julie Moore, who was killed Oct. 17 along with her son, Cason Conner.

Police said the two were killed by Conner’s father, Christofer Conner, who was previously charged with domestic battery in July, according to Sebastian County records. The relationship between Moore and Christofer Conner at the time of the incident is unclear.

Moore worked at the bistro for two years and was an outgoing, friendly individual and employee, according to the owners.

“She just had a very good personality. She was very funny, feisty, stubborn. We have a small staff, and she was very motherly to some of the younger ones,” owner Bruce Spinas said.

Arkansas Family Alliance is a nonprofit group created to address children and families’ needs within the community.

“She was such a big part of our family here. It’s just a horrible situation, and there’s not much that you can do to change anything. But she has two children left, and we can try to make a difference for them and help pay for funeral costs for Julie and her son,” Spinas said.

There’s no deadline to donate.

The bistro plans to raise awareness about domestic violence in Fort Smith and collect money for a police officer injured in the incident, once more information is made public.

At 6: 20 a. m. Oct. 17, the police responded to a call in the residential area of Tilles and Lecta avenues. The caller reported hearing yelling and screaming, after which he went outside and saw a man assaulting someone on the ground at the road intersection.

Police Chief Danny Baker said in a statement Sunday afternoon the first officer to

arrive at the scene reported he had been stabbed and shots were fired in less than a minute. He was rushed to a local hospital and is now recovering.

Police determined the officer encountered Christofer Conner, 40, of Fort Smith beating a 15-year-old boy in the face and head with a brick, Baker said. The officer ordered Conner to stop, and although Conner seemed to comply at first, he stabbed the officer in the throat and neck as the officer approached. The officer fired his gun twice, killing Conner.

Baker said Cason Conner, 15, was identified as Christofer’s son. He had been stabbed multiple times and suffered blunt force trauma. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police also discovered Moore, 42, dead from apparent stab wounds at 2819 Tilles Ave., along with evidence of a violent attack. A 5-year-old was also found in the home and is now with family.

The Arkansas State Police was asked to lead the investigation because the incident involved an officer shooting a man. The injured officer was placed on paid administrative leave while another officer, who wasn’t involved in the shooting, was placed on leave pending post-critical incident treatment. Neither officer was identified.