BRINKLEY, Ark. — Arkansas State Police arrested a homeless man on charges of capital murder, aggravated robbery, and burglary after a 73-year-old Brinkley woman was found dead inside her apartment on Friday.
According to reports, officers with the Brinkley Police Department were dispatched to the Sunset Apartments on Thursday for a reported break-in just before 3:00 a.m.
On Friday afternoon, family members of the Brinkley woman, who was identified as Shirley Bodkins, found her body inside the apartment.
Brinkley police requested the help of Arkansas State Police in their investigation and that led them to begin a search for 29-year-old Juwan Swanigan.
On Saturday, state police, along with Brinkley police officers were able to find and arrest Swanigan for the murder of Ms. Bodkins.
The investigation into the break-in and murder is still ongoing, and the body has been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to determine the manner of death.