Background: News footage of the home in Bryant, Ark. where three people were found dead (KARK). Inset: Jarrod Mitchell (Bryant Police Department).
An Arkansas man was arrested hours after three members of his family were found dead of gunshot wounds in their home.
The Bryant Police Department reported on Facebook that they were called to a home in Bryant after a man discovered his wife and her parents dead upon returning from work. The man arrived home around 7:30 a.m. to find the tragic scene. Fortunately, the three children present in the house were unharmed during the incident. Later that day, the police made an announcement that they had taken a suspect into custody, identified as 34-year-old Jarrod Mitchell.
Police did not release the names of the three deceased people, but stated that they were Mitchell”s sister and parents.
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Authorities shared that the man who made the grim discovery was actually married to Mitchell’s sister. Upon their arrival at the scene, law enforcement found no indications of forced entry into the residence.
Jarrod Mitchell was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He was subsequently placed in the Saline County Detention Facility, where he remains in custody without the option for bail. At this time, the police have not disclosed any potential motives behind the alleged triple homicide.
According to court records, Mitchell has a history of nonviolent arrests in connection to drug charges, and was also committed to a detox facility against his will in 2017. Court records obtained by Law&Crime stated, “On 6/18/17 he threatened his mother, her husband, and his sister. He had knives laid out on the bed and one on his person.”
The petition for commitment was signed by Mitchell’s grandparents, whom he was living with at the time of the reported threats. The judge who signed off on the petition ordered Mitchell to be committed to a detox facility for no more than 21 days, stating that Mitchell is “believed to be addicted to alcohol/drugs” as well as “homicidal, suicidal, or gravely disabled.”
Mitchell is being held on $2 million bond. Local NBC affiliate KARK reported that he is expected to appear in court on Aug. 5.
