Tyner Found Not Guilty of 2020 Murder

JONESBORO, Ark. — A man who was accused of murder was found not guilty by a jury on Friday in Craighead County, according to attorneys in the court.

Henry V. Tyner, 52, of Longview, Texas, was charged with first-degree murder stemming from the death of Donald C. Hubbard, 78, of Jonesboro. On January 26, 2020, Hubbard was found shot to death in his home at the 1800 block of Shady Grove.

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Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Thomason confirmed that a jury found Tyner not guilty Friday night after deliberation. Thomason, Charlene Henry, and Andrew Nadzam represented the state in the case.

Attorney Randel Miller represented Tyner. Late Friday, Miller told NEA Report he was very happy for his client, adding that Tyner had maintained his innocence. Miller said Tyner lost everything as a result of this, specifically mentioning his wife and job.

“I think justice was done tonight,” Miller said. “This was a travesty that he was ever even charged with this. There was not sufficient evidence to have charged him to begin with.”

According to K8 News, court documents stated that Tyner initially claimed he visited Hubbard’s home after church on Sunday to check on him. However, surveillance footage reportedly showed Tyner driving past the house without stopping earlier in the day. Later, an additional video showed Tyner entering the home and going directly to Hubbard’s bedroom, where Hubbard was found with a pillow on his face and covered with blankets.

The affidavit states that Tyner turned on the bedroom light momentarily, remarked an expletive, and left the room. Detective Chad Hogard noted that Tyner later described the scene and Hubbard’s injuries in detail despite only being in the room for a fraction of a second. Hogard also stated that Tyner financially benefited by more than $200,000 from Hubbard’s death.

Henry Tyner is the father of Brock Tyner, who died in custody earlier this year in Jonesboro. A civil lawsuit is pending in that case.