Former Waldron Mayor Troy Anderson (July 7, 2009)
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of the murder of Waldron's former mayor, after authorities discovered a burned body in rural Pulaski County.
Fort Smith police say Mario Dawson will be booked without bond in the Sebastian County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of 75-year-old Troy Anderson.
Anderson was reported missing June 27, and his truck was found in Pulaski County on June 29. On Tuesday, investigators found a burned body about 600 yards from where Anderson's truck had been found. Fort Smith police say the body was "burned beyond recognition" and that the remains were sent to the state Crime Laboratory for identification and autopsy.
"We found enough evidence that we believe the body to be that of Troy Anderson," said Captain Jarrard Copeland with the Fort Smith Police Department.
"We believe Mario Dawson knew Mr. Anderson, and killed him in a confrontation in Fort Smith before getting rid of his body and truck in Pulaski County."
Dawson and his wife, Jasmine Dawson, were arrested last week in West Memphis in suspicion of using Anderson's bank cards, and Copeland wouldn't rule out the possibility Jasmine Dawson could be charged as an accomplice to Anderson's murder.
"There's still more we need to investigate," he said.
Here is the press release from the Fort Smith Police Department:
Date: July 7, 2009
From: Criminal Investigations, Captain Jarrard Copeland Telephone: 479-709-5009
Re: Missing Person Troy Anderson
On Saturday, June 27th, 2009 seventy five year old Troy Anderson was reported missing from his residence at 1724 South "H". On Monday, June 29th, 2009 Mr. Anderson's vehicle, a tan 2003 Toyota Tundra, was located in a rural area of Pulaski County, Arkansas. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility in Little Rock, AR and processed by crime scene detectives with the Fort Smith Police Department.
During the course of this investigation, two subjects were captured on surveillance video using a credit card belonging to Mr. Anderson. On Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 these subjects were identified as Mario Dawson and Jasmine Carter/Dawson. Later that day, both subjects were arrested in West Memphis, AR on charges of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card.
Today, investigators with the Fort Smith Police Department, with assistance from the Pulaski County Sherriff's Office, located a burned body in a rural area of Pulaski County, approximately 500 600 yards from where Mr. Anderson's vehicle was located earlier. The body was burned beyond recognition and is being sent to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy and identification.
Fort Smith Police have arrested Mario Dawson on charges of Murder in the First Degree. He will be booked into the Sebastian County Jail with no bond.
Fort Smith police say Mario Dawson will be booked without bond in the Sebastian County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of 75-year-old Troy Anderson.
Anderson was reported missing June 27, and his truck was found in Pulaski County on June 29. On Tuesday, investigators found a burned body about 600 yards from where Anderson's truck had been found. Fort Smith police say the body was "burned beyond recognition" and that the remains were sent to the state Crime Laboratory for identification and autopsy.
"We found enough evidence that we believe the body to be that of Troy Anderson," said Captain Jarrard Copeland with the Fort Smith Police Department.
"We believe Mario Dawson knew Mr. Anderson, and killed him in a confrontation in Fort Smith before getting rid of his body and truck in Pulaski County."
Dawson and his wife, Jasmine Dawson, were arrested last week in West Memphis in suspicion of using Anderson's bank cards, and Copeland wouldn't rule out the possibility Jasmine Dawson could be charged as an accomplice to Anderson's murder.
"There's still more we need to investigate," he said.
Here is the press release from the Fort Smith Police Department:
Date: July 7, 2009
From: Criminal Investigations, Captain Jarrard Copeland Telephone: 479-709-5009
Re: Missing Person Troy Anderson
On Saturday, June 27th, 2009 seventy five year old Troy Anderson was reported missing from his residence at 1724 South "H". On Monday, June 29th, 2009 Mr. Anderson's vehicle, a tan 2003 Toyota Tundra, was located in a rural area of Pulaski County, Arkansas. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility in Little Rock, AR and processed by crime scene detectives with the Fort Smith Police Department.
During the course of this investigation, two subjects were captured on surveillance video using a credit card belonging to Mr. Anderson. On Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 these subjects were identified as Mario Dawson and Jasmine Carter/Dawson. Later that day, both subjects were arrested in West Memphis, AR on charges of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card.
Today, investigators with the Fort Smith Police Department, with assistance from the Pulaski County Sherriff's Office, located a burned body in a rural area of Pulaski County, approximately 500 600 yards from where Mr. Anderson's vehicle was located earlier. The body was burned beyond recognition and is being sent to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy and identification.
Fort Smith Police have arrested Mario Dawson on charges of Murder in the First Degree. He will be booked into the Sebastian County Jail with no bond.
