		<div class="wpcnt">
			<div class="wpa">
				<span class="wpa-about">Advertisements</span>
				<div class="u top_amp">
							<amp-ad width="300" height="265"
		 type="pubmine"
		 data-siteid="109460728"
		 data-section="1">
		</amp-ad>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div><div class="articleWide cleared">
<div class="alpha">
<div id="js-article-text" class="article-text wide heading-tag-switch">
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">Arkansas state police said Friday Rebecca Lynn O&#8217;Donnell was arrested in connection with the death of former state Sen. Linda Collins</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">O&#8217;Donnell, 48, was said to be a friend and a former campaign staffer of Collins&#8217;</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">57-year-old Sen. Collins-Smith was found dead outside her home on June 4, although authorities haven&#8217;t revealed when or how she died </span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">Authorities have not released cause of death, but sources said the former senator&#8217;s body, discovered wrapped in a blanket, allegedly had a gunshot wound </span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">Authorities said that criminal charges against O&#8217;Donnell are pending<br />
</span></h6>
<div id="articleIconLinksContainer" data-preferred-shared-network-enabled="">
<h6 class="share-count"><img class="alignnone wp-image-320930" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Linda-Collins-Smith-5.png" alt="Linda Collins-Smith 5" width="722" height="544" /><strong>Former Arkansas GOP state sen. Collins [photo] was found dead outside her own home in Pocahontas, Ark., on June 4. The exact time of her death has not been released, but sources said Collins apparently died from gunshot injuries but her body was said to have started to decompose</strong></h6>
<div class="share-count">Authorities in Arkansas have arrested an ex-campaign staffer of a Republican politician who was found dead outside her own home on June 4.<br />
<iframe style="border: none;" src="//rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?o=1&;p=12&;l=ur1&;category=kitchenaid&;banner=0P3SQ52HRZ1MWKMCJ2G2&;f=ifr&;linkID=ba446afb093f4d8ca7ae29fdfb605c44&;t=konniemomen0a-20&;tracking_id=konniemomen0a-20" width="300" height="250" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><iframe style="border: none;" src="//rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?o=1&;p=12&;l=ur1&;category=professional_beauty&;banner=1MW66JMA9EFHZB6W6W02&;f=ifr&;linkID=080bfcf631497a01c3fb5a449558ec23&;t=konniemomen0a-20&;tracking_id=konniemomen0a-20" width="300" height="250" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br />
Authorities said Friday night they&#8217;ve arrested Rebecca Lynn O&#8217;Donnell, 48, of Pocahontas, Arkansas, in connection with the death of former state Sen. Linda Collins. Arkansas police said criminal charges were pending and did not say whether they were seeking any other suspects in Collins&#8217; death.</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class="mol-para-with-font">Collins, 57, who went by Collins-Smith in the Legislature, was found dead June 4 outside her home in Pocahontas, about 130 miles northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.<br />
Authorities have released few details about Collins&#8217; killing and have not said how or when the former lawmaker was killed.<br />
Her body was discovered wrapped in a blanket and allegedly had a gunshot wound, <a class="class" href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2019/06/04/forer-sen-linda-collins-smith-reported-fatally-shot-in-pocahontas" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Arkansas Times</a>, reports<br />
Sources claimed that Collins-Smith&#8217;s body had started to decompose, which made it difficult to identify.<br />
<a href="http://ronmat96.gaming777.hop.clickbank.net"><img src="http://www.gamingjobsonline.com/images/banner/250/250x250-1.jpg" rel="prettyPhoto"></a><a href="http://ronmat96.gaming777.hop.clickbank.net"><img src="http://www.gamingjobsonline.com/images/banner/250/250x250-2.jpg" rel="prettyPhoto"></a></p>
<p>Although active on social media, Collins&#8217; last tweet was posted in late May.<br />
Ken Yang, a former communications director for Collins, said that Collins&#8217; neighbors heard gunshots a day or two before her body was discovered around 7.15pm on June 4.<br />
A judge last week granted a request by prosecutors to seal documents and statements obtained by police during the investigation.<br />
A State Police spokesman declined to say where O&#8217;Donnell was being held. The Randolph County jail referred questions to the sheriff, who did not immediately return a call seeking comment. State Police said it did not know when O&#8217;Donnell would appear in court.</p>
<h6 class="mol-para-with-font"><img class="alignnone wp-image-321886" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Rebecca-Lynn-ODonnell-left-and-Linda-Collins-Smith-2.png" alt="Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, [left] and Linda Collins-Smith 2" width="758" height="755" /><strong>Police said Friday night they have arrested Rebecca Lynn O&#8217;Donnell, [left], in connection with the death of old boss, former state Sen. Linda Collins, [right]</strong></h6>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img">
<div class="image-wrap fff-pic">
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="splitLeft">
<div class="mol-img">
<div class="image-wrap fff-pic">
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img">
<div class="image-wrap fff-pic">
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<div class="mobile-gallery-icon"><img class="alignnone wp-image-321889" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Ken-Yang-1-1.png" alt="Ken Yang 1" width="1458" height="1050" />Ken Yang, former communications director for former state Sen. Linda Collins, speaks at an event remembering Collins at the state Capitol on Tuesday in Little Rock, Arkansas</div>
<div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h6 class="mobile-gallery-icon"><img class="alignnone wp-image-321890" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Ken-Yang-post-on-death-of-Sen.-Linda-Collins-Smith-1.png" alt="Ken Yang post on death of Sen. Linda Collins-Smith 1" width="1060" height="963" /><strong>Ken Yang confirmed the arrest on Friday night in a message posted on Facebook</strong></h6>
<div></div>
<div class="mobile-gallery-icon">O&#8217;Donnell was said to have been a former campaign staffer of Collins (right) and that the two women were friends</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img">
<div class="image-wrap fff-pic">
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<div class="mobile-gallery-icon">Collins (in 2015) was found dead outside her own home on June 4. Authorities have not revealed how or when Collins died, but her body was said to have started to decompose.<br />
Yang said O&#8217;Donnell had worked on Collins&#8217; most recent campaign and that the two were friends.<br />
On Friday night, Yang posted a <a class="class" href="https://www.facebook.com/VoteKenYang/photos/a.350932618355777/2239872842795069/?type=3&;theater" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">statement</a> from Collins&#8217; family, regarding O&#8217;Donnell&#8217;s arrest on Facebook, which read in part: &#8216;We are sickened and upset that someone so close to Linda, would be involved in such a terrible, heartless crime.&#8217;<br />
<a href="http://ronmat96.fxexperts.hop.clickbank.net"><img src="https://www.wallstreet-forex.com/images/banners/wsfr_2_evolution_768x90_1.jpg" rel="prettyPhoto"></a><br />
Collins served one term in the state House and was originally elected as a Democrat in 2010. But she switched parties and became a Republican in 2011, the year before the GOP won control of both chambers of the Legislature.<br />
She was elected to the state Senate in 2014 and was one of the most conservative lawmakers in the majority-GOP chamber. She lost re-election in the Republican primary last year.</div>
<div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img">
<div class="image-wrap fff-pic">
<h6 class="mobile-gallery-icon"><img class="alignnone wp-image-321884" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Jennifer-McKenzie-Smith-left-her-mother-in-law-Linda-Collins-Smith-center-with-Jennifers-husband-Butch-Smith-right-1-.png" alt="Jennifer McKenzie-Smith [left), her mother-in-law Linda Collins-Smith [center] with Jennifer's husband Butch Smith (right] 1" width="1208" height="790" /><strong>The GOP politician is survived by her two adult children. Son Butch Smith and daughter, Heather Williams. Her daughter-in-law Jennifer McKenzie-Smith seen [left], with Sen. Collins-Smith and her husband Butch [right] posted on Facebook about the loss of her mother-in-law calling her killer a monster</strong></h6>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="splitLeft">
<div class="mol-img">
<div class="image-wrap fff-pic">
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<h6 class="mobile-gallery-icon"><strong><img class="alignnone wp-image-321883" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Linda-Collins-Smith-9.png" alt="Linda Collins-Smith 9" width="706" height="585" />Collins [L-R], a conservative GOP politician, was once quoted as saying: &#8216;You can&#8217;t be pro-gun enough in Arkansas&#8217;. She had an 87 percent rating from the National rifle Association for her positions on gun rights<br />
</strong></h6>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="mol-para-with-font">As a State Senator, Collins-Smith introduced or co-sponsored multiple bills seeking to expand the places where concealed weapons could be carried, including college and university campuses, the state Capitol, other state offices and courtrooms.<br />
She was once quoted as telling the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: &#8216;You can&#8217;t be pro-gun enough in Arkansas.&#8217; She had an 87 percent rating from the National rifle Association for her positions on gun rights.<br />
Sen. Collins-Smith is survived by her adult son Butch Smith, and daughter, Heather Tate Williams. Her dad and her sister, Kathy Franks, of Arkansas; and three grandchildren.<br />
Collins and her husband, retired Circuit Judge Philip Smith, divorced last year and were in the middle of a legal fight over their properties, including a motel.<br />
In a statement released June 11, Collins&#8217; two adult children and father said they were &#8216;surprised, upset, angered, and saddened&#8217; by her death.<br />
And her daughter-in-law, Jennifer McKenzie-Smith, wrote on Facebook: &#8216;Linda Collins loved her family. Now, a monster has taken her away from us.<br />
Collins&#8217; funeral is scheduled for Saturday morning in Pocahontas.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Arkansas police arrest former campaign staffer, 48, over the killing of ex-state senator, Linda Collins, 57, whose body was found shot dead and wrapped in a blanket outside her home on June 4
