Boy, 12, charged with capital murder in Arkansas after authorities say he killed 21-year-old store clerk

Christa Shockley, 21, was found unresponsive on the convenience store floor by a local newspaper carrier

Twelve-year-old arrested in school, six hours after Shockley’s body was found at Fouke E-Z Mart, Thursday morning in Fouke, Ark

Clothing the suspect wore during the crime and the pistol believed to be used to commit the crime have been recovered

The juvenile suspect was ordered detained by Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson at a detention hearing

If convicted the he will be held in a detention center until his 21st birthday, when a hearing will determine his release or he serves time in an adult penal institution

Store clerk, Christa Shockley, was found murdered on the convenience store floor by a local newspaper carrier, early Thursday morning.

A 12-year-old boy faces capital murder and aggravated robbery charges for his alleged role in fatally shooting a store clerk about 2 a.m. Thursday at the Fouke, Ark., E-Z Mart clerk.
Christa Shockley, 21, was found unresponsive on the convenience store floor by a local newspaper carrier, early Thursday by at a gas station in Fouke, approximately 140 miles southwest of Little Rock and near the state’s borders with Texas and Louisiana.
According to Chief Deputy Michael McQuerrey of Miller County Sheriff’s Office, the 12-year-old suspect, who is being held in the county’s juvenile detention center, is not being identified in compliance with state law. A pistol was used in the homicide, McQuerrey said.
County Prosecutor Stephanie Black said the suspect was ordered detained by Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson at a detention hearing. He will return to court for a hearing Feb. 8.
Black said, is not eligible for certification to stand trial as an adult under Arkansas law.
However, the court can exert extended juvenile jurisdiction he is found capital murder. He will likely be held in a juvenile detention center until his or her 21st birthday. Thereafter a hearing will be conducted to determine whether he is released or ordered to serve time in an adult penal institution.

Tthe E-Z Mart store when a newspaper delivery man spotted an unresponsive Christa Shockley, early Thursday

A Texarkana Gazette newspaper carrier discovered the clerk’s body while making early morning deliveries. He was driving over to the E-Z Mart store, he said, when she spotted the woman’s body.
“I could see her body on the entrance floor. She was laying on her back. There was no struggle at all,” the carrier said.
“You could tell she was dead,” the newspaper carrier said.
“I hollered, and she didn’t respond. A man went with me inside the entrance. We didn’t see anyone leaving the scene,” the carrier said.
“My adrenaline was running. I tried to keep my mind right. It was pretty rough. I called 911. My phone showed I called at 2:08 a.m.,” the carrier said. A few hours later, investigators had a suspect in custody.
Investigators said they “had recovered multiple critical items of evidence including the clothing the suspect wore during the crime, the weapon used to commit the crime, and identified and arrested the suspect in the Fouke community,” McQuerrey said.
Deputy Chief McQuerrey commending the expedited investigation said responding officers quickly “determined Ms. Shockley had been a victim of a homicide”.
Having identified the young suspect detectives were despatched to his school to make the arrest, police said. About 8 a.m., after evidence used to commit the crime had been recovered: “A juvenile suspect was identified. Because of his age and as a precaution, the Fouke School was contacted a second time with the new information, and deputies were sent to the school to help ensure the safety of the students and staff,” McQuerrey said.
Purvis praised the investigative efforts that led to a quick arrest.
“The investigators were the best of the best. They made an arrest in record time, and I’m appreciative of that. It’s unnerving thinking a killer would be running among us. A quick arrest put the fear at ease. I can’t thank the sheriff’s department and the Texarkana, Ark., Police Department enough,” Purvis said.
The investigation is ongoing.