Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Buchheit Pleads Guilty To Murder

By JOHN MILLER

There will be no trial for Keith Buchheit, who was charged with the murder of Jake McKinnon Nov. 9, 1996.

Monday morning, with the court preparing to select a jury for the trial, Buchheit's attorney worked out a plea bargain with Eighth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Brent Haltom which was also approved by the family of McKinnon.

Buchheit agreed to a sentence of 32.5 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. He will be eligible for parole after serving 70 percent of this time, or 22 years and nine months.

Members of Buchheit's family, as well as those related to McKinnon were in the courthouse when the decision was made.

Buchheit is the second man sentenced to prison for the beating death of McKinnon. Earlier this year, Toby Craig was given 40 years for his part in the murder.

The third man to be tried for McKinnon's beating death will be Johnny Cason of Arkadelphia. His trial is scheduled for May.

Buchheit is currently being held in the Nevada County jail until space can be found for him at the state penitentiary.

CHECK SCAM

A local business has been caught in a statewide check scam by the U.S. Secret Service.

According to Jim Westmoreland, criminal investigator for the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and Prescott Police Department, on Sept. 22, 1997, Fred's Dollar Store passed two forged checks in the amount of $1,000.

Westmoreland said the case is being handled by the Secret Service's Little Rock office, with two arrests having already been made, though not locally.

He said the case was made when checks were allegedly typed on an account for the Chancery Court Office Child Support Division out of Little Rock.

Special Agent Allen Bryant suggests any businesses seeing checks from this office contact Westmoreland.

Westmoreland said the scam appears to be statewide and most counties have been hit.