Two Polk County Men Face 1st Degree Murder Charges in Logan County

BY MELANIE BUCK –

Two Polk County men are facing charges of 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm by Certain Persons in Logan County, Arkansas, following the homicide investigation of a 60-year old Booneville man. Joseph Oliah Hals Brown, age 32, of Hatfield, and Nick Charles Stoicu, age 39, no address given, were arrested in Polk County after the investigation that included the Arkansas State Police, 15th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Waldron Police Department, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, DeQueen Police Department, Mena Police Department, Grannis Police Department and the Booneville Police Department.

According to records, the pair are wanted in Logan County for the murder of Ritchie Lee Lynch, who was found dead from five gunshots wounds at his residence in Booneville, Arkansas on April 6, 2015. Robert Allen Lee Melton, age 51, was questioned regarding the murder and told investigators that on the night of April 2, 2015, Brown, Stoicu, himself, and two women, Teresa Lynn Bennett and Dave Ann Townsend traveled to the residence of Lynch in a maroon SUV with the intent of robbing Lynch of his money and drugs. Melton said that after parking the SUV down the road from Lynch in a wooded area, the three men walked to Lynch’s residence while the women stayed behind. According to Melton, he kept watch at the gate of the residence while Brown and Stoicu went into the home where Stoicu carried a rifle and Brown carried a handgun. Melton said after a few minutes he heard someone yell and then heard around four gunshots after which, Brown and Stoicu came back outside carrying a black bag and told Melton they had shot Lynch and left him lying there.

After returning to the vehicle, the group traveled to a residence in Waldron where the two alleged murderers broke down the guns they had used before offering Melton $800 cash and 17 grams of methamphetamine for his part in the alleged activity. Melton stated that he declined the offer.

Bennett has also been questioned by investigators and said that she showed the others where Lynch lived and that when the trio of men had returned to the SUV from Lynch’s residence that the men had stated that “it had gone bad.”

On April 3, 2015, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Brown on Charges of Possession of a Schedule VI Controlled Substance, Possession of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance, Possession of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance not Meth or Cocaine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Theft of a Vehicle, Breaking or Entering and Violation of a Suspended Imposition of Sentence. On April 9, 2015, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Stoicu on Charges of Possession of Meth or Cocaine with Purpose to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and Firearms.

The two also face Habitual Offender charges for being previously convicted of one to four felonies each. Brown and Stoicu await extradition in the Polk County Detention Center.

In a release sent out by the Logan County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Boyd D. Hicks, said that, “The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests could be made at a later date. Bond has not been set at this time.”

*All persons within this article are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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