Investigators say man kills ex-wife, her mother, himself

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Pulaski County Sheriff’s investigators said a Faulkner County man killed his ex-wife and her mother before killing himself late Wednesday in an unincorporated area just outside of North Little Rock.

Deputies responded to a house at 7109 Forest Dale Drive at around 9:50 p.m. Wednesday after a resident said a man was shooting a gun. When they arrived, the found Daniel Dewitt, 32, and his ex-wife, 31-year-old Amanda Dewitt, dead outside the house. Inside, they found the body of Debra Allen, 61.

According to court records, the Dewitts’ divorce had been granted Monday.

Pulaski County sheriff ’s spokesman Lt. Robert Garrett said the divorce decision may have been “the catalyst” that made Daniel Dewitt act more violently, but investigators said they don’t know.

The divorce decree by Faulkner County Judge David Clark granted Amanda Dewitt sole custody of the couple’s two children.

According to court records, Daniel Dewitt filed for divorce April 7, citing daily fighting and being blamed for poor living conditions because he was no longer the primary earner.

On July 8, Amanda Dewitt filed for an order of protection against her husband, citing 26 incidents of harassment, failure to exchange possession of the children according to custody rulings, taking his children from her possession without her knowledge and an alleged attempted break-in.

The request was denied because the judge ruled it didn’t fit the definition of domestic abuse but he scheduled a hearing on July 30 to determine if there was cause for an order of protection. Amanda Dewitt dropped the request July 27 because she said Daniel Dewitt hadn’t threatened physical abuse or committed physical abuse, and she thought the petition would be rejected.

After granting temporary joint legal custody Sept. 11, the court ultimately gave Amanda Dewitt sole custody of the children, ages 9 and 2, in the divorce decree, with visitation to be determined by her.

Daniel Dewitt also had no child support obligation, according to the order.