Saturday, June 07, 2008

TOP STORY >>Double murder puts men in jail

By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer

A Cabot man is being held without bond in the Faulkner County Jail on charges of murder, aggravated robbery, theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to Maj. Andy Shock of the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office.

Ronald Dean Charles, 31, of 45 Oak Meadows Drive in Cabot, was arrested at his residence Monday by Faulkner County sheriff’s deputies, assisted by the Cabot Police Department, according to Shock.

Charles and Roy Allen Crook, 29, of 2716 Moro Lane, Jacksonville, were charged in connection with the April 9 murder of cousins Bobby Don Brock, 45, and Lonnie Franklin Brock, 62, according to documents on file atthe Faulkner County Courthouse.

Shock didn’t want to discuss the cause of death, but one published report says the bodies were found with blunt trauma wounds. One man was found in the house and one in the yard at their residence near Vilonia.

Crook was arrested April 10, Charles on June 2. The arrests were the result of evidence and witness statements, Shock said.

No further arrests are expected, according to Shock.

Each man is charged with two counts of capital murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of theft of property and two counts of being felons in possession of a firearm.

Firearms were among items allegedly stolen by the pair during commission of the crimes, according to the felony information on file with the Faulkner County circuit clerk.

Both men have prior records, Charles’ record stretching back to a 1995 Pulaski County conviction for two counts of commercial burglary and two counts of theft of property.

He was 18 at the time, and was sentenced to two years in prison. In 1999, he was sentenced to six years for residential burglary and theft of property.

Crook was convicted in Pulaski County for residential burglary in 2000, probation revocation in 2001, and was convicted in 2006 of fraudulent use of a credit card.

In addition to the charges related to the Brock killings, Crook also faces charges of parole violation, failure to comply and has a hold placed on him from another county, according to information provided by Shock.

Pretrial motions for Charles are slated to be heard in circuit court in Vilonia Aug. 28.

He was declared indigent at Tuesday’s arraignment.