Seventh suspect in 2017 murder pleads innocent Monday
The seventh and final suspect charged in connection with the death of a local man whose body was found dumped at Greenwood Cemetery in 2017 pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder Monday in Garland County Circuit Court.
Donald Franklin Williams, 56, of Hot Springs, who was also the last person arrested for the death of Cory Richardson, 31, also pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of possession of a firearm by certain persons. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison on the murder charge and up to 20 years on the firearm possession charge, which stems from the fact he is a previously convicted felon and not allowed to own or possess firearms.
Williams was arrested Dec. 29, 2017, in Rockwall, Texas, and was later incarcerated in federal prison at Leavenworth, Kan., on unrelated charges awaiting extradition back to Hot Springs. He was booked into the Garland County Detention Center shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday and appeared Monday with deputy public defender Mark Fraiser to enter his pleas.
A hearing to determine the admissibility of any statements he made to Hot Springs police after his arrest is now set for Aug. 26. His bond on the local charges is set at $250,000 but he also has a zero bond hold from Leavenworth. A gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case was issued June 6 by Judge John Homer Wright.
Three accomplices, all of Hot Springs and all charged with tampering with physical evidence, pleaded guilty last year to their charges. Jake Lynn Norwood, 29,
pleaded guilty July 23, 2018, and was sentenced to six years in prison; Melissa Jere Wineland,
28, pleaded guilty Oct. 8 and was sentenced to six years, with four years suspended; and James Dean Keyser III, 28, pleaded guilty Dec. 3 and was sentenced to five years’ probation, fined
$500 and ordered to pay $420 in costs.
A fourth accomplice, Stephanie Ann Shell, 22, of Malvern, pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2018, to one felony count of hindering apprehension or prosecution and was sentenced to 10 years in prison with nine years suspended, and ordered to pay $170 in court costs.
Three other suspects, identified as Williams, Steven Wood,
43, and John Patrick Walker, 43, all of Hot Springs, were each charged with first-degree murder in the death of Richardson, whose body was found Oct.
23, 2017, next to the cemetery’s main entrance at 701 Greenwood Ave.
An autopsy determined Richardson died from a gunshot that entered his upper left buttocks and exited his abdomen, but there was also evidence of blunt force trauma to his head and a stab wound to his left thigh.
Wineland was arrested Oct.
24, 2017, the day after Richardson’s body was found, Norwood was arrested Nov. 5, 2017, and Keyser was arrested Nov. 24,
2017. Wood and Shell were arrested together on Nov. 15, 2017. Walker was apprehended on Dec. 19, 2017, in Garland County and 10 days later Williams was apprehended in Texas.
Wood, who is also charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, punishable by up to 20 years, is set to stand trial on Sept. 18. Walker, who is also charged with possession of a firearm by certain persons, is set for a hearing on Aug. 6 to determine if he is mentally fit to proceed with trial after an evaluation was ordered.
According to previous affidavits, Richardson was killed or severely wounded at 106 N. Patterson St., Wineland’s residence, and transported by car to the cemetery. The car was located and searched the day Richardson was found and reportedly had a large amount of blood in the back seat.
Wineland admitted after her arrest that she and Keyser transported the body to the cemetery from her home. She said the two then drove to Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike, where Keyser purchased cleaning products. Then they returned to the house and Keyser, along with others, began cleaning the house while Wineland and Norwood took the car to a car wash and attempted to clean up the blood in it.
According to other witnesses, on the afternoon of Oct. 22, 2017, Richardson used a counterfeit $100 bill to pay Wood for meth, which Wood got from Williams. Later that same day, Williams allegedly arrived at the residence, angry at Wood for accepting the counterfeit bill, and told Wood to locate Richardson and “deal with it,” and then left.
Williams and his son-in-law, identified as Walker, later returned armed with handguns and pistol-whipped Richardson, knocking him to the floor. Wood allegedly joined in the attack and hit Richardson who tried to flee out a rear door in the kitchen. At that point, Williams allegedly shot in Richardson’s direction.
Williams and Walker were reportedly the only ones in the kitchen with Richardson at the time and continued to beat him before a second shot was fired. The witness said Richardson was face down on the floor, yelling he had been shot as Williams and Walker exited the kitchen.
Williams allegedly began cleaning blood off his hands and the gun, then told witnesses, “y’all better clean this mess up,” as he and Walker left the scene.
A witness stated Shell helped Wood drag Richardson’s body out of the house and then helped clean the house to remove the blood and other evidence.
Court records indicate Williams was convicted on Nov. 5, 1998, of felony drug charges in Pike County and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was also convicted May 10, 2005, in Garland County of manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of a firearm by certain persons and sentenced to six years’ probation.