Body of Arkadelphia man found in Warren

The body of a young man from Arkadelphia was discovered early Tuesday three counties east of his home.

The Warren Police Department is leading the investigation into the cause of death for 21-year-old Eli Perrin, of Arkadelphia.

Perrin’s body was found at about 5:12 a.m. in a parking lot on the corner of Gannaway and Church streets in the Bradley County city of Warren, according to a press release from that police department. At the scene, officers learned that Perrin’s vehicle had been involved in a one-vehicle accident on Highway 8, about 3 miles outside the city limits. The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office had investigated that accident earlier in the morning.

According to Bradley County authorities, the vehicle “appeared to have veered off the highway and struck a light pole.” However, the driver abandoned the vehicle at the scene. There was no one else at the scene of the accident. Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson said his office was notified of that accident when Bradley County deputies asked to check the address listed on Perrin’s driver’s license, which they found at the scene.

“Our involvement was to see if he was at the residence,” Watson told The Arkadelphian.

Perrin’s body was processed and will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for an autopsy and to determine a cause of death, according to Warren police.

The incident is being investigated as a crime pending results from the Arkansas Medical Examiner’s Office.

Police in Warren and Bradley County are asking anyone with information regarding either incident to call 870-226-3703 or 870-226-3491 ext. 6.

The Saline River Chronicle broke this news on August 15, 2023