Former Arkansas State Senator’s Friend Charged for Her Murder
Police charged a former Arkansas State Senator’s friend and campaign staffer for her murder Monday.
Rebecca O’Donnell was charged for murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence with regard to the killing of Linda Collins-Smith, NBC News reported Tuesday.
Collins-Smith was found dead in her home June 4.
It was later determined that the former state senator had died of a gunshot wound.
Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, pictured right, has been arrested in connection to the murder of former Republican. Arkansas State Senator Linda Collins Smith, pictured left. O’Donnell and her boyfriend campaigned for Collins Smith during the 2018 election: https://t.co/HxV6rDoktA pic.twitter.com/HingAo0GoW
— Heavy.com (@HeavySan) June 15, 2019
Former press secretary for Collins-Smith Ken Yang said O’Donnell previously worked with the state senator’s campaign in 2018, according to NBC.
O’Donnell is currently in custody, according to a statement from the Arkansas State Police.
Authorities were unwilling to release any further information regarding the investigation.
“The investigation is presently at a critical juncture and no further information will be released at this hour until authorities are confident it will not comprise the integrity of the criminal case,” the Arkansas State Police statement read.
Yang also told The Daily Caller News Foundation over email Tuesday that he could not “speculate” to the “crimes Ms. O’Donnell is being charged with.”
All records related to the investigation were ordered to be sealed until the Circuit Court of Randolph County, Arkansas, “should declare that the record may be open,” a court order given to TheDCNF by Arkansas State Police public information officer Bill Sadler said.
Collins-Smith served in the state House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, switching from a Democrat to a Republican months after becoming elected.
She was later elected to the state senate in 2014 for District 19, the Daily Beast reported.
Collins-Smith lost her 2018 re-election bid.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
