Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Cummings found murdered at home

An 80-year-old man was murdered Thursday, July 15.

According to Nevada County Sheriff Steve Otwell, Peggy Cummings, of 3906 Highway 24 East, returned home at 7:30 a.m. from her job as a security guard, and found her husband, James H. "Booger" Cummings, dead and the house ransacked.

Otwell said the call came into the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shortly after 7:30 a.m. When officers arrived they discovered the house had been broken into. Cummings was found in his bed, apparently shot to death.

Lt. Cleve Barfield, with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, was on hand to oversee the investigation. The ASP is in charge of the probe, Otwell said.

As of press time, there were no leads of clues as to the identity of the suspect(s). "We hope to have some information soon," Otwell said. "A lot of work is being done.

"We're not sure what was taken, but the house was ransacked. Whoever did it was looking for something." Officers with the ASP's CID met with the family to try and determine what may have been missing.

Cummings's body was taken to the Arkansas Crime Lab for an autopsy, according to Otwell.

Cummings was retired from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. He ran a produce stand near the intersection of Highways 53 and 24.

"He was well thought of," Otwell said, "a good man. He was a friend to all and never met a stranger. He would welcome strangers into his house and feed anyone who was hungry.

"We hope someone saw something. If they did they need to call the NCSO at 887-2616, or the ASP at 870-777-8944. This was a great loss to the community."

Along with the NCSO and ASP, officers from the Prescott Police Department and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission were on hand to assist.

Otwell and Barfield urge anyone who may have any information about this incident, or who may have seen something out of the ordinary during the hours of 11 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. Thursday, July 15, to call them. The NCSO number is 887-2616, while the ASP's CID number is 870-777-8944.