PARAGOULD, Ark. — A Tennessee man has been arrested in connection with a four-year-old case involving a home explosion in Greene County that resulted in a fatality.
Jeff Carter, formerly a resident of Paragould, and currently residing in Lewisburg, Tennessee, was arrested by deputies with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. His arrest comes in response to a bench warrant issued in Greene County on charges of arson, a Class A felony, fraudulent insurance acts, a Class D felony, and negligent homicide, a Class A misdemeanor.
The case, involving the 2019 home explosion that killed Michael Blake Campbell, has been under intense investigation for several months. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division devoted hundreds of man hours to reviewing case files, gathering new leads, and uncovering additional evidence, a release from the GCSO said.
Campbell was found deceased inside the home, located at 7293 Highway 141 N., on June 14th, 2019. The structure was fully engulfed in flames when deputies arrived at the scene. The medical examiner’s report lists the cause of death as “smoke and soot inhalation.”
Carter, who had purchased the home in April 2019 for $25,000, told authorities he was in the process of renovating the property. Carter’s connection to the property, and the fact that he had an $80,000 insurance policy on it, became critical aspects of the investigation. His insurance claim was denied when Carter refused to submit to an examination under oath.
Key evidence surfaced during the investigation when a forensic examination of a witness’s phone revealed a text message from Campbell on the day of the fire. The message stated, “We gotta go take care of some stuff for Jeff.” The explosion occurred a few hours after this message was sent.
Sheriff Brad Snyder praised the work of his officers, crediting their “hard work, persistence, and attention to detail” for the successful arrest.
Carter is currently awaiting extradition back to Arkansas.
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