A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder following the death of a Van Buren man found stabbed along a city street earlier this month. The Van Buren Police Department (VBPD) identified the suspect as Anthony Lee Tabor, who was taken into custody just two days after the fatal incident.
Police responded to a call at around 11:19 a.m. on Sunday, April 6, near the intersection of South 40th Street and Kingsberry Drive. Upon arrival, officers found 34-year-old Michael James O’Malley lying beside the roadway with apparent stab wounds. O’Malley was pronounced dead at the scene, and his body was transported to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner for autopsy.
“Over the past three days, the detectives have been interviewing people who knew the victim, his family, of course, potential people who have witnessed or became suspects,” said VBPD Captain Stephen Staggs. “We’ve interviewed all those individuals and collected evidence, and we determined yesterday afternoon that we had probable cause to charge Anthony Tabor with second-degree murder.”
According to police, a witness reported seeing Tabor and O’Malley engaged in a violent fight near the street. Tabor reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle later discovered to have been stolen from Little Rock. Officers later located both Tabor and a knife that matched the weapon described by witnesses.
Robert Snider, a motorist who drove past the scene, described the encounter to 5NEWS. “When I tell you they were fighting, they were fighting,” he said. “One guy was on top of the other, slamming his head into the curb.”
Snider said he attempted to intervene but backed off when one of the men pulled a knife and slashed a tire. He immediately called 911 around 2:47 a.m. on Saturday, April 5. According to Snider, dispatchers and officers initially told him they could not locate anyone at the scene. He believes that crucial time was lost and could have potentially saved O’Malley’s life.
“The victim family members said that the medical examiner determined that he was alive after he had been stabbed twice, once in the neck and once in the heart,” Snider added. Snider, who has been in contact with O’Malley’s family, says they are now demanding accountability not only from Tabor but also from the agencies that initially responded.
“His family deserves justice, not only from Anthony, but because the department that was supposed to serve and protect them failed to do so,” he said. Tabor has also been charged with theft by receiving. VBPD confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
“We’re keeping the family in the loop on everything that happens during this investigation,” said Capt. Staggs. Arkansas State Police, the Crawford County Coroner’s Office, and the FBI are assisting in the case. Out of respect for the family, no additional details will be released at this time.