Slaying victim found at park in Fayetteville

FAYETTEVILLE — Police are investigating the Monday night killing of a man at Walker Park in south Fayetteville, said Sgt. Craig Stout, a Fayetteville Police Department spokesman.

Police hadn’t released the man’s name by Tuesday evening and were awaiting notification of his next of kin, Stout said. The man was in his 50s, Stout said.

Stout described the man’s death as violent, but he didn’t give details.

Blood was found around the park’s horseshoe pit, where the body was discovered, officials said. Firefighters washed the blood away about 2: 30 a. m. Tuesday, said Dale Riggins, administrative assistant for the Fayetteville Fire Department.

Firefighter reports didn’t indicate how much blood was found, Riggins said.

A police dispatcher’s log showed that an officer was checking the park at 11: 15 p. m. when the body was found.

It was obvious the man was dead, and no efforts were made to resuscitate him, Riggins said.

The man died shortly before police discovered his body, Stout said.

Ambulance service chief Becky Stewart said in an email that she had no additional information about the death.

Police were interviewing a suspect in the case Tuesday morning, Stout said. The suspect’s name was not released.

The body will be sent to the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock for autopsy, and it could take weeks to get back the results, Stout said.

Walker Park is known as a hangout for homeless people, said Jimmy Jordon, whose home is across the street from the park. He said he sometimes sits up at night and watches homeless people walk around, start fires and drink alcohol.

“They have nothing to do and nowhere to go,” Jordon said. “It’s a problem.”