Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Hunter Slain In '96

Opening day of deer season in 1996 proved to be fatal for a Prescott, with a Clark County man involved, making the murder one of the year's top stories in the region.

Jakie McKinnon was allegedly beaten to death by a trio of men on the first day of the modern gun season, Nov. 9.

Three men were charged in the incident with first degree murder. Johnny Cason, 25, of Arkadelphia, Toby Craig, 28, of Hooks, Texas, and Keith Aaron Buchheit, 24, also of Hooks.

According to reports from the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and court records, the incident occurred in the Suckle Lake Bottom Road area off county road 42.

Nevada County Sheriff Harold Vines said, at the time, McKinnon was out hunting when the confrontation occurred.

Court records show there was some bad blood between McKinnon and Craig. Apparently, the argument concerned hunting rights when Craig was unable to pay his annual club dues and McKinnon told him to take his deer stand out of the leased property.

The "feud" escalated when McKinnon claimed Craig told authorities he (McKinnon) had been hunting out of season, which resulted in his getting a ticket.

Records show Craig told McKinnon he couldn't pay his club dues in July and was told to take his stand out of the woods, which he did with Buchheit's help.

On Oct. 18, before muzzleloading season opened, Craig allegedly went by McKinnon's house and saw the carcasses of three deer hanging up.

Craig called the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to report this illegal hunting, and McKinnon was ticketed for being in possession of illegal meat.

According to reports, McKinnon told several people he would get whoever it was who turned him in to the AG&FC and allegedly sent a note to Craig's father telling him he didn't want them (the Craig's) in his (McKinnon's) bottoms.

Court reports state McKinnon caused trouble for Craig's father as well.

However, on Nov. 9, the trio had gone to buy beer, the statement shows, then went by the homes of Craig's father and uncle.

Following this, they went riding around and Craig, according to the statement, decided to find McKinnon and set everything straight.

They met him on Low Water Bridge Road while McKinnon was in his truck. Both vehicles stopped, with Craig getting out and approaching McKinnon

Craig, according to records, threatened McKinnon and struck him through the window of his truck.

McKinnon left and went back to the camp, where he told another hunter he had been hurt.

The three met McKinnon again, with the victim allegedly out of his truck holding a weapon. According to records, Craig exited the vehicle he was in, with a weapon in hand also.

Craig allegedly approached McKinnon and took his weapon, placing it in the back of the victim's truck.

A witness to these events was told to leave the area after seeing McKinnon struck by two of the three men.

According to court records, the three then ganged up on McKinnon, which eventually resulted in his death.

His body was found face down in a water-filled ditch, though his head was not in the water. His truck had also been ran into the ditch, with the keys removed and thrown away -- reportedly so he couldn't follow the three men who had beaten him.

Cason, reports show, went back to his Arkadelphia home after the incident, while Craig and Buchheit returned to Craig's father's house.

After being notified of McKinnon's death, the three went to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office where they were placed under arrest.

All three have since bonded out, and have different trial dates set.

McKinnon's family had pleaded with the judge to deny bail because of the severity of the crime.

The bond order was modified for Cason to keep him out of Nevada County until his trial is over. He had been seen by a member of McKinnon's family near his father's home, which is close to a relative of McKinnon's.

Now, Cason can only enter the county to see his attorney or under court order and then must return straight back to Clark County.

So far, all three trials are set to be held in 1997.