Arkansas Man Allegedly Kills Sister and Parents While Three Children Are Inside the Home

An Arkansas man is facing three counts of first-degree murder following the brutal killing of his mother, stepfather, and sister in what authorities are calling a domestic triple homicide.

Jarrod Mitchell, 34, was arrested on June 22 after police discovered the bodies of his family members inside a home in Bryant, Arkansas. According to a statement released by the Bryant Police Department, the victims—whose names have not yet been released—were all found dead from gunshot wounds.

Police were first alerted to the scene at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Sunday morning after the sister’s husband returned home from work and found the bodies. Authorities quickly launched a homicide investigation.

The BPD confirmed that three children were present in the home during the murders but were not harmed in the attack. “There were no signs of forced entry or signs of this being a home invasion,” police stated in the release, further suggesting the crime was not random.

Roughly eight hours after the initial discovery, police arrested Mitchell and booked him into the Saline County Detention Center. He is currently being held without bail, pending his first court appearance, according to the Kark.

Court documents reveal that Mitchell has a history of legal trouble, primarily involving non-violent drug offenses. In 2017, he was involuntarily committed to a detox facility following a series of disturbing behaviors at his grandparents’ home.

According to a petition filed at the time, Mitchell had threatened his mother, her husband, and his sister. “On 6/18/17, he threatened his mother, her husband, and his sister,” the document read. “He had knives laid out on the bed and one on his person.” The petition also stated that Mitchell had punched holes in the wall and was ultimately taken into custody for alleged terroristic threatening.

A judge then ordered him to undergo a 21-day commitment, noting, “There is clear and convincing evidence that [Mitchell] is or may be addicted to alcohol or other drugs and that [Mitchell] is homicidal, suicidal or gravely disabled.”

Tragically, nearly eight years to the day after that court filing, Mitchell allegedly carried out the murders of the very family members he once threatened. In the wake of the devastating tragedy, a GoFundMe page has been launched to assist with funeral expenses for the victims. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the killings.