Homicide investigation in Pocahontas after two found dead

Photo of a Randolph County Sheriff's Office truck. Photo taken in 2016

UPDATE: The suspect’s name is Nicholaus D. Patterson. He is facing two counts of capital murder and appeared before a judge today.


POCAHONTAS, Ark. – A homicide investigation is underway west of Pocahontas after two residents were found dead in their home over the weekend, Randolph County Sheriff Gary Tribble reported.

Ricky and Rita Bozwell, both 66 of Pocahontas, were found dead in their home Saturday afternoon, July 14, 2018 after their daughter reportedly entered the home and found the mother. Authorities from Pocahontas and Randolph County arrived at the scene and began treating it as a homicide investigation, the media release sent to NEA Report said.

While conducting the investigation, a subject, Nicholaus D. Patterson, was taken into custody by Arkansas State Police, who were brought in to assist with the investigation. Tribble reported the subject was at the scene when taken into custody and is being held at the Randolph County Jail pending formal charges. On Monday, probable cause was found to charge Nicholaus Patterson with two counts of capital murder.

At 10:10 PM on Friday, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department first took a report from the daughter, Jessica Patterson. She reported her parents missing since that morning at 8 AM. Patterson told police she had made numerous attempts to contact her parents who lived west of Pocahontas to no avail. She reported that she was concerned something may have happened to them.

At 12:50 PM Saturday, Randolph County 911 Dispatch took a call from Patterson, the release said, reporting “they” had made entry into the residence of her parents and found and discovered the body of her mother. The call requested EMS. Randolph County Sheriff’s Department and Pocahontas Police Department responded to the call, confirming the discovery of Ricky and Rita Bozwell both deceased. Foul play was suspected.

State Police were called in to assist. Tribble said they took Nicholaus Patterson into custody.

No other details were released by authorities as of Sunday afternoon.


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