Fayetteville slaying leads to man’s arrest

NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE — A man was arrested Thursday night in connection with the death of an acquaintance, according to the Washington County sheriff’s office.

Samuel Appling, 22, of 10863 Rocky Creek Road was arrested in connection with capital murder, residential burglary and fleeing. He was being held Friday in the Washington County Detention Center with no bail set.

Deputies were called at 11:15 p.m. to 10671 Rocky Creek Road for a burglary in progress, according to the sheriff’s office. John Hurlburt, 53, said someone broke into his home and used an electronic stun device on him. Hurlburt said he hit a man in the head with a weight and the man fell off the porch, according to the news release. Hurlburt said the man may have had a gun.

Hurlburt identified his attacker later in the call as his daughter’s boyfriend and then stopped talking, according to the release. Dispatchers said it sounded like Hurlburt was screaming for help.

Deputies saw a dim light heading north, parallel to Rocky Creek Road, and saw a man running east with reflective material on his back when they arrived at 11:28 p.m. Deputies chased him and ordered him to stop.

Appling reached the edge of a wooded area and collapsed, according to the release. The deputies found a Ruger .45-caliber pistol in the area that was covered in blood.

Blood covered Appling’s sleeves and gloves, and he had a fixed-blade knife in a sheath on his right hip. The knife blade and handle were covered in blood, according to the release.

Once Appling was taken into custody, deputies found Hurlburt dead in his living room. Hurlburt had been stabbed, according to the release.