POPE COUNTY, Ark. — Pope County authorities arrested a man in connection to the 2021 murder of 17-year-old Savana Elliott, whose body was discovered on Oct. 23, 2021, in the Holla Bend National Wildlife Management Refuge.
According to authorities, 40-year-old Stephen Watson is being charged with capital murder for the death of Elliott.
Watson was already in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Corrections due to unrelated convictions. Now, he will appear before a judge on Friday, June 21 for arraignment at the Pope County Sheriff's Office.
This comes as investigative work was done for nearly three years by multiple agencies including the Pope County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas State Police, and the FBI.
"[My] heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the family of Savana. May this arrest be the first step in providing closure on this horrific event," said Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones.
