A 21-year-old man, who is currently on parole, was arrested Tuesday night following an investigation into a shooting death in October.
Xavier Thomas is accused in the death of Henry Paul Fells Jr., 23, of Pine Bluff, who was found in the front door of a house in the 3300 block of Palm Street on Oct. 25.
Fells was taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center where a doctor in the emergency room pronounced him dead at 9:55 p.m. The cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound to the face.
A second man, Tristian Hunter, 18, was also shot and taken to the hospital.
Capt. Greg Shapiro said Thomas was arrested without incident at 10th Avenue and Hazel Street on Tuesday.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
During a court hearing Wednesday morning for Thomas, Deputy Prosecutor Maxie Kizer said police were sent to the area of 32nd Avenue and Palm Street at about 9:05 p.m. Oct. 25, to check on a reported prowler. When police arrived, they found Hunter who yelled that he “had been shot.”
Hunter reportedly told police his “friend had also been shot,” and officers found Fells nearby with a gunshot wound to the face.
Kizer said police interviewed Hunter, who described a possible suspect, and told officers Fells had received a call from that person and the number would still be on Fells’ cell phone.
Using that number, as well as other information, police were able to identify Thomas as a possible suspect, and put together a photo lineup which they showed Hunter on Monday. Hunter reportedly identified Thomas as the shooter.
Detective Jacqueline Stephenson reported that after Thomas was arrested, he waived his right to an attorney and claimed he had seen Fells and Hunter earlier in the day, but denied having any contact with them and denied the shooting.
Kizer said Thomas is on parole after being convicted of two counts of residential burglary and two counts of theft of property in Desha County, and has pending charges of a terroristic act, two counts of residential burglary and two counts of theft of property from Lincoln County.
Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth set a $250,000 cash only bond for Thomas after ruling prosecutors had probable cause to charge him with one count of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree battery, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Bridgforth also ordered Thomas to have no contact with Hunter until the case is settled and to come back to court Feb. 8.
Thomas told the court he would hire his own attorney.