Three dead ID’d in Romance case

Man suspected in two deaths killed; four White County deputies on leave

The White County sheriff’s office has put four deputies on administrative leave while the Arkansas State Police investigates the shooting death of a man suspected of killing two people in the tiny town of Romance on Monday, Chief Deputy Phillip Miller said Tuesday.

Such paid leave is routine in Arkansas after police-involved fatal shootings.

Miller released the name of the two victims and the dead suspect but declined to identify the four deputies.

In a news release, Miller said the victims from the shootings on Starlight Lane were Starla Exum, 45, of Romance and Timmy Dickson, 54, of Searcy. Miller identified the suspect as Archie Lawhon III, 42, of Cabot.

“At this point, investigators are still working to determine what events lead up to this deadly encounter. No further information is available at this point,” Miller said.

Starlight Lane is a rural gravel road connected to Blackjack Mountain Road. Romance is about 23 miles west of Searcy.

State police spokesman Bill Sadler said that agency’s findings, once complete, will be turned over to the prosecuting attorney to review and decide whether the use of deadly force was justified.

Miller declined in a brief interview Tuesday to say whether a deputy who only recently got off administrative leave in another shooting was involved in this case.

Miller said authorities were still trying to determine what led to Monday’s shootings.

“I don’t think it was random,” he said.

Asked how the sheriff’s office would cope with so many deputies on leave at the same time, Miller said officers from the various patrol shifts would work overtime.

According to Miller on Monday, the suspect walked out of a “small building in the woods” and approached deputies about 3:15 p.m. Monday.

Deputies told the suspect to show his hands, but he instead showed a gun and pointed it toward the officers, Miller said. Multiple deputies opened fire, fatally wounding the suspect.

Miller also said it was unclear whether the suspect fired at deputies.