The last of seven people convicted in connection with the death of a local man whose body was dumped at Greenwood Cemetery in 2017 was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday after pleading no contest to second-degree murder in Garland County Circuit Court.
John Patrick Walker, 44, who has remained in custody since his arrest Dec. 19, 2017, was originally charged with first-degree murder for the death of Cory Richardson, 31, of Hot Springs, but the charge was amended to second-degree murder and he was sentenced to the maximum of 30 years while an additional felony charge of possession of a firearm by certain persons was withdrawn.
Steven Wayne Wood, 44, who was also charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2020, to a reduced charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison while an additional charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution was withdrawn.
Donald Franklin Williams, 57, pleaded no contest on Dec. 30, 2019, to first-degree murder for his role in the death of Richardson, who was found Oct. 23, 2017, next to the cemetery's main entrance at 701 Greenwood Ave., and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Williams will have to serve 70%, or at least 21 years, before he is eligible for parole under sentencing guidelines.
"The evidence pointed more towards Donald Williams being the actual shooter which is why he pled to murder one," Chief Deputy Prosecutor Kara Petro told The Sentinel-Record Wednesday, noting Richardson's family approved of the plea deal in Walker's case Tuesday.
Three accomplices, all of Hot Springs and all charged with tampering with physical evidence, later pleaded guilty to their charges. Jake Lynn Norwood, 29, pleaded guilty July 23, 2018, and was sentenced to six years in prison; Melissa Jere Wineland, 28, pleaded guilty Oct. 8, 2018, and was sentenced to six years, with four years suspended; and James Dean Keyser III, 28, pleaded guilty Dec. 3, 2018, and was sentenced to five years' probation, fined $500 and ordered to pay $420 in costs.
A fourth accomplice, Stephanie Ann Shell, 22, of Malvern, pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2018, to one felony count of hindering apprehension or prosecution and was sentenced to 10 years in prison with nine years suspended, and ordered to pay $170 in court costs.
An autopsy determined Richardson died from a gunshot that entered his upper left buttocks and exited his abdomen, but there was also evidence of blunt force trauma to his head and a stab wound to his left thigh.
Wineland was arrested Oct. 24, 2017, the day after Richardson's body was found, Norwood was arrested Nov. 5, 2017, and Keyser was arrested Nov. 24, 2017. Wood and Shell were arrested together on Nov. 15, 2017. Walker was apprehended on Dec. 19, 2017, in Garland County and 10 days later Williams was apprehended in Texas.
According to previous affidavits, Richardson was killed or severely wounded at 106 N. Patterson St., Wineland's residence, and transported by car to the cemetery. Wineland admitted she and Keyser transported the body to the cemetery from her home and later Keyser and others began cleaning the house while Wineland and Norwood took the car to a car wash to attempt to clean up the blood in it.
According to other witnesses, on the afternoon of Oct. 22, 2017, Richardson used a counterfeit $100 bill to pay Wood for meth, which Wood got from Williams. Later that same day, Williams arrived at the residence, angry at Wood for accepting the counterfeit bill, and told Wood to locate Richardson and "deal with it," and then left.
Williams and his son-in-law, identified as Walker, later returned armed with handguns and pistol-whipped Richardson, knocking him to the floor. Wood joined in the attack and hit Richardson who tried to flee out a rear door in the kitchen. At that point, Williams shot in Richardson's direction.
Williams and Walker were the only ones in the kitchen with Richardson at the time and continued to beat him before a second shot was fired. Richardson was face down on the floor, yelling he had been shot as Williams and Walker exited the kitchen.
Williams began cleaning blood off his hands and the gun, then told witnesses, "y'all better clean this mess up," as he and Walker left the scene. A witness stated Shell helped Wood drag Richardson's body out of the house and then helped clean the house to remove the blood and other evidence.
Local on 03/19/2020