2nd man charged in slaying, burial

A second man has been charged in the slaying of a man who was attacked, killed and buried in a yard last month in rural Pulaski County, the sheriff’s office has announced.

Jake Johnson, 38, of Hensley was booked Thursday at the Pulaski County jail on a charge of capital murder.

Sheriff’s office spokesman Mitch McCoy said Johnson was in jail in Saline County in an unrelated case when Pulaski County deputies served him with a warrant and transferred him to the jail in Little Rock.

The homicide victim was identified as 56-year-old Edward Perkins. Authorities said they discovered Perkins’ remains buried on private property at 18217 Wright Way Road. The owner of the property is Troy Lee Warner, the first suspect arrested in the case.

Warner, 58, was charged with murder, tampering, maintaining a drug premises, abuse of a corpse and possession of drug paraphernalia. He remains in jail in lieu of $1.6 million bond.

“While continuing to follow leads, we were led to this individual,” McCoy said of Johnson’s arrest. He declined to provide more details about the investigation.

The sheriff’s office received a tip Dec. 11 that Warner was in a fight that resulted in fatal injuries. The date of the fight was not listed on any reports.

Deputies said they went to Warner’s property on Wright Way and started digging. They had to borrow equipment from the county road and bridge department.

Warner was arrested on his drug charges the morning of Dec. 11, hours before the body was found. After sundown, they had found Perkins’ remains and subsequently filed murder charges against Warner.