Felony Friday: Woman charged in ’17 hit-and-run with Arkadelphia mayor a no-show in court

This is a roundup of felony charges filed in recent weeks by the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office. Some defendants may also have misdemeanor charges against them, but they are not included here. The following names and charges, which are contained within public documents, are gathered from online court records available through ARCourts. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

State vs. Jennifer Kay Schipull. Aggravated Assault on a Family or Household Member (2 counts), Class D Felony; 1st Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Minor, Class D Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Defense: Clinton DeWitt. A probable cause affidavit filed the Clark County Sheriff’s Office says Schipull, 42, pointed a Taurus Judge revolver at a known female during an Aug. 21, 2024, altercation at a Country Club Road residence in Arkadelphia. A juvenile was between Schipull and the target at the time of the alleged incident.

State vs. Latasha Nichole Heyward. Failure to Appear, Class C Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Heyward, 40, of Arkadelphia, did not appear in Clark County Circuit Court for a court date set in April 2024. Heyward was due for a court hearing regarding a 2017 charge of Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Personal Injury. Court records indicate that Heyward was driving an SUV and ran a stop sign at 7th and Carpenter streets, striking Scott Byrd, who was driving a motorcycle. Heyward reportedly fled the scene, leaving an injured Byrd to report the accident that caused him injuries that required a doctor’s care. Byrd is Arkadelphia’s mayor.

State vs. Cora Catreece Tonihka. Failure to Appear, Class C Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Tonihka, 53, of Benton/Bryant, did not appear in Clark County Circuit Court for a court date set in April 2024. Tonihika was due for a court hearing regarding a slew of felony fraud, forgery and theft charges filed in February 2024.

State vs. Alonzo Da’Vonte Leeper. Failure to Appear, Class C Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Leeper, 28, of Gurdon, did not appear in Clark County Circuit Court for a court date set in August 2024. Leeper was due for a court hearing regarding several charges related to drug and firearms possessions following a May 2023 traffic stop in Arkadelphia.

State vs. Justin Chase Lemaster. Failure to Appear, Class C Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Lemaster, 40, of Scott, Arkansas, failed to appear in Clark County Circuit Court for a court date set in June 2024. Lemaster was due for a court hearing for a meth possession charge in March 2024, following an Interstate 30 traffic stop by Arkansas State Police.

State vs. Michael Alvin Buckley Jr. Theft by Receiving, Class D Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Buckley, 20, of Fordyce, is accused in an August 2024 theft reported at a Henderson State University fraternity house (Sig Tau). According to a probable cause affidavit, Buckley took a woman’s purse and used her debit card to make two purchases at an Arkadelphia convenience station. Henderson police were able to obtain video footage of the transaction and a receipt showing the victim’s debit card number.

State vs. H’Kavona Venquell Morris. Failure to Appear, Class C Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Morris, 36, of Little Rock, did not appear in Clark County Circuit Court for a court date set in September 2024. Morris was due for a court hearing related to a theft charge for allegedly stealing a wallet from the proprietor of Mary & Martha’s Florist in May 2024, then using his debit and credit cards to rack up more than $3,700 in purchases at Arkadelphia Walmart. Morris was arrested three days later in Rockwall, Texas.

State vs. Bryson D. Robinson. Breaking or Entering; Theft of Property ($1,000-$5,000), Habitual – Class D felonies. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. Robinson, 42, of Arkadelphia, is accused of an Aug. 10 theft of a self-propelled lawnmower from a Clark Street residence. According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators were able to identify Robinson as the suspect from a neighbor’s security footage.

State vs. David L. Boddie. Fleeing, Class D Felony. Prosecutor: Dan Turner. An affidavit states that Boddie, 44, of the Dalark community, led a Clark County sheriff’s deputy on a high-speed pursuit on Arkansas Highway 51 near Clear Lake to state Highway 128. The deputy, checking the Clear Lake area while on routine patrol, had made contact with Boddie and reportedly detected the odor of marijuana. Asked for his identification, Boddie then allegedly fled in a Ford Escape toward Joan at speeds up to 90 mph. Boddie reportedly turned onto Fite Road, where the deputy ultimately lost sight of the suspect vehicle due to the dust and called off the chase.