Local woman, 55, is charged with abuse of a corpse

Remains found wrapped in blankets, duct tape and a garbage bag believed to be Himes’ ‘intellectually disabled’ sister

TEXARKANA, Ark. — A Texarkana woman has been charged with abuse of a corpse in connection with “skeletonized” remains, believed to be those of her sister, discovered in a Martha Street house earlier this month.

An arrest warrant was issued Oct. 22 for Debbie Sue Himes, 55, in connection with the alleged remains of Christy Himes. The warrant was requested by Texarkana, Arkansas, police for “abuse of a corpse, abuse of endangered or impaired persons,” court records show. The “skeletonized body wrapped in a black garbage bag with duct tape and several blankets,” is among evidence collected by investigators during a search Oct. 3 responding to allegations of child sex abuse by Debbie Himes’ longtime boyfriend, Tony Ken Hooker.

A younger relative of Christy Himes and Debbie Himes alleges Hooker touched her inappropriately while she was visiting at adjacent houses on Martha Street, which Hooker is believed to own, according to a probable cause affidavit. The mother of a 17-yearold girl reported Sept. 23 that her daughter disclosed that Hooker, whom she reportedly thought of as a grandfather and called “Ken,” had touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions when she was a 9- or 10-year-old girl.

Hooker, 63, was released Oct. 21 on a $40,000 bond on a charge of second-degree sexual assault. He is prohibited from having any contact with the alleged victim.

In an interview earlier this month, Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Department’s Lt. Zachary White said police were asked by

Adult Protective Services to conduct a welfare check on Christy Himes when officers went to arrest Hooker on the sexual assault warrant. White said APS staff told police that their agency had been unable for “some time” to conduct a face-to-face contact with Himes, who was intellectually disabled and had a history of seizures.

White said in the earlier interview that Hooker is deemed Himes’ caretaker by APS and was receiving and cashing benefit checks on her behalf. When APS caseworkers attempted to make contact with Himes they were told that she was away visiting family “or given some other excuse as to why she wasn’t available,” White said. White said Debbie Himes gave investigators information at the time of the search earlier this month that led them to believe Christy Himes was deceased and that her remains were in the Martha Street residence.

Because of “serious medical issues,” Debbie Himes was not taken into custody at the time a warrant was issued for her arrest, court records show. Debbie Himes posted a $15,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Miller County circuit court Nov. 12.

Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Spokeswoman Sgt. Kristi Bennett said final DNA results on the remains are still pending. Abuse of a corpse is punishable by up to six years in prison.