Suspect apprehended in homicide case

The Conway Police Department announced Friday that a male suspect in last week's homicide has been in custody for more than a week, but officials would not release the name of the person presumably connected to the killing of Cynthia Farmer.

CPD Lt. Danny Moody wrote in a news release that a suspect was already in city custody on theft suspicion when Farmer's 47-year-old body was found on June 29 at her duplex on 210 Willow St., shortly after 1 p.m.

"A suspect continues to be in custody on unrelated charges while we continue to investigate this homicide," Moody wrote of the suspect, who was apparently known to the victim and who was first approached by police while investigating a theft reported at Target on Elsinger Boulevard.

Moody said three patrol officers contacted the suspect near the homicide scene and found that he had some of Farmer's property, which included bank debit cards.

"The officers also learned some suspicious activity on Ms. Farmer's bank account had occurred recently," wrote Moody, who said over the phone Friday that the suspect agreed to be interviewed by police without being formally arrested.

Officers tried to contact Farmer about her debit cards and learned she had not shown up for work at Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe since June 27, before a patrolwoman reported Farmer's death at 1:09 p.m.

Moody said the homicide suspect was later cleared of theft suspicion, when a person matching the description given at Target was arrested on probable cause for the same retail theft. Police said Friday that the unnamed suspect is being held for a crime unrelated to the death of Farmer, who bled to death after injuries caused by a knife.

Along with Farmer's debit cards, Moody said that the unnamed suspect "was in possession of other articles of interest that led the officers and investigators to believe he was connected to Ms. Farmer's homicide."

Criminal charges have not been filed in relation to Farmer's death, though Prosecuting Attorney Marcus Vaden on Friday praised law enforcement agents for their work on the case.

"I think as this thing comes out, the citizens of the city are going to be extremely pleased with the officers in the city and county," Vaden said. "I've seen (the evidence) they have, and I think, based on what we expect the return of some of the test results will be, that we probably have the right guy in custody. We do not feel that there is a further danger to the public, unfortunately after the damage already to Ms. Farmer."

Vaden said Friday that investigators are still waiting for crime lab evidence before he brings formal charges, and that he will file "when we are certain we have the right charges against this person."

"Police are continuing the investigation not only to determine if this suspect is in fact the person involved (in the homicide), but if there might have been other people," Vaden said. "There are two aspects here probable cause, and proof beyond a reasonabledoubt. Police are continuing to follow leads depending on what else turns up. There could be other individuals, and I'm not suggesting there really are, but they're making sure. That's what their office is doing making sure we got the right individuals and that we have the right charges."