Convicted murderer faces drug charge 15 years later

Conway man convicted in the 1992 shooting death of Jerry Antone Wright appeared at Faulkner County Circuit Court on Monday after being arrested over the weekend for ecstasy possession.

Judge David Clark set bond at $15,000 for Cardell Dugger, 33, who was sentenced by jury in 1992 for shooting Wright near Lincoln Street after Wright asked Dugger not to gamble at Pleasant Branch Missionary Baptist Church. Dugger was convicted that fall of first-degree murder.

Police arrested him Saturday mere blocks from where the Wright homicide happened 15 years ago.

Dugger, whose parole flattened in 2005, was arrested on Hamilton Street on Saturday night after running from a patrolman who thought Dugger and Stacy Beatty, 34, were blocking Hamilton traffic while sitting in a 2007 Nissan SUV. Dugger and Beatty exited the vehicle and fled on foot from officers with Conway Police Department, who arrested Beatty after chasing him inside a nearby house.

According to a CPD report released Monday, after officers subdued Beatty, "there was a struggle and Dugger would not submit to arrest," before Dugger was stunned with a taser no more than five times in order to be handcuffed. Jailers later found two suspected ecstasy pills in Dugger's wallet, and police found suspected cocaine on Beatty.

Public defender Lynn Plemmons said Monday that Dugger, who now lives in Conway with a relative, "is a lifelong resident of the city of Conway, other than the time he was serving a sentence."

"He was convicted, he did serve his sentence and did successfully complete his term of parole," said Plemmons, who noted a low rate of repeat homicide offenders in his arguing for a lower bond. Deputy prosecutor Joe Don Winningham had asked Clark to set bond at $75,000 for Dugger, who was released from county custody Monday night.

Beatty was released on $25,000 bond. Division 3 pretrials were set for March 13.

Both men are charged with felony controlled substance violation and single misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, fleeing and public intoxication.

SHERIDAN COACH

CHARGED locally

WITH SEX SOLICITATION

Clark set bond at $20,000 for James R. Gatling, a 58-year-old Sheridan School District golf coach who is accused of sexually explicit conversation over the Internet with undercover investigators with both Shannon Hills and Conway police departments.

Gatling, who is charged here with sexual solicitation, was released from Faulkner County custody on bond Monday, after he was booked at Saline County jail last week on a similar charge.

Division 1 pretrial for Gatling was set for March 27.

Also at circuit court on Monday, probable cause was found to charge Tremayne Maquell Cain, 26, for failing to pay fines, to report as directed, to complete rehab and to abstain from illegal drug use. Cain was issued probation in 2000 on a failure to appear charge, and according to Monday's docket could face penalties for felony first-degree sexual abuse.

Bond was denied for Cain. Division 1 revocation hearing was set for Jan. 23.

(Staff writer Daniel Doyle can be reached by e-mail at daniel.doyle@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1253)