Man charged in shooting death

TEXARKANA — A formal charge of murder has been filed in Miller County against a man accused of shooting his girlfriend last month in a Texarkana apartment.

Jason Heath Stewart Jr., 19,is charged in the March 17 shooting of 20-year-old Kayla Keatts. Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell filed paperwork formally charging him Monday.

Texarkana police and emergency medical personnel were called to an apartment in the 1000 block of Locust Street on the day of the shooting, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Keatts had a single gunshot wound in her head, and investigators theorize in the affidavit that she was lying in bed with her head on a pillow when she was struck.

Stewart’s brother told officers that he was in a bedroom, and his brother and Keatts were in another bedroom in their mother’s apartment, authorities said. The brother said he heard a single gunshot and saw Stewart running from the apartment when he went to investigate, police said.

The brother allegedly found Keatts lying in bed and covered in blood.

Stewart’s father told police that his son called him and said, “I’m on the run,” before disconnecting the call, according to investigators.

Stewart surrendered. He told investigators he was sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxer shorts playing on his Xbox when he noticed Keatts was holding his pistol and it was pointed toward her, according to authorities. Stewart said that the gun went off suddenly when he grabbed it from Keatts, police said.

According to the affidavit, Stewart’s account is in conflict with the physical evidence.

Stewart is being held in the Miller County jail with bail set at $500,000. The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Brent Haltom.