Henderson Oracle

Issue date: 11/23/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Josh Briggs The remnants of a Garland County mobile home barely stand after the residence was burned early Nov. 12. Four bodies were found and later ruled as murdered before the arson took place. One of the victims was sophomore business Kristyn Warneke. Other included her boyfriend, Jeremy Gentry, and his mother and father.

Warneke

Students and staff on campus are mourning the loss of one of their own. Sophomore business major Kristyn Warneke was one of five victims murdered in a mobile home in the small town of Pearcy, Ark. Warneke was a part of Henderson's Honors College.

Deputies from the Garland County Sheriffs Department responded to a 911-call at about 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 12 regarding a residential fire.

After the local fire department doused the flames that engulfed the mobile home located next to Lake Hamilton High School and were cleared to enter the residence, authorities found four bodies beneath the ruins.

At first the fire was treated as suspicious before authorities learned that all four victims had been brutally murdered by gunshot before the mobile home was set on fire.

Many people who had met Warneke said that she was a very nice and likable person, with a very bright future. Warneke was an honor graduate of Caddo Hills High School.

She was also a member of the golf and basketball teams at Caddo Hills. Warneke is survived by her parents Ken and Darlene Ponder Warneke, both of Norman, Ark., her sister Katelyn Warneke and her brother Billy Vann, both also of Norman.

Other victims included Warneke's boyfriend, Jeremy Gentry, 24, his father Eddie Gentry Jr., 54, and his mother Pam Gentry, 52. All of the victims were identified by dental records, authorities say.

Hours after discovering the bodies, police found another body at 3450 Old Airport Road that had also been shot after he was beaten. Neither his body nor his home were burned. The body was identified as 80-year-old Edward Gentry Sr., the father of Gentry Jr. Gentry Sr. was a World War II veteran.

"He fought to protect his home," said his daughter Karen Gentry during an interview on THV news.

Thirteen miles away from the scene, police responded to another call that a truck was on fire at the other end of town.

Authorities first did not link the two, but later found that the truck belonged to Gentry Sr., after matching the license plate to the residence.

Lt. James Martin held a press conference Friday, giving very few details about the case except to say that "this is still an ongoing investigation." The courts issued a gag order to investigators that no sheriffs deputy or anyone involved with the investigation would answer any media questions involving the murders.

This came less than 24 hours after sheriff's deputies arrested two of the suspects accused of the murders of all five victims. Police also shot and killed a third suspect after he opened fire at his National Park Inn room in Hot Springs while police were issuing a warrant. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Marvin Stringer, died at the scene after shooting deputy Jason Lawrence in the arm. At press time, Lawrence was still listed in stable but serious condition.

Deputy Felix Hunter was also injured during the shootout, but was treated for a medical condition and released to recover at home.

The other two suspects were identified as 23-year-old Samuel Conway and 23-year-old Jeremy Pickney, all of Hot Springs.

According to court documents released to the public on Friday, they revealed that the motive for the murders was theft. The suspects went to the residence to steal thousands of dollars' worth of rims from Jeremy Gentry's truck, along with flat-screen televisions that were supposed to be in the house at the time of the break-ins.

After the arrests, police charged both Pickney and Conway with capital murder, aggravated residential burglary and arson.

Both are being held in the Garland County jail without bond.

Saturday the Gentry family was laid to rest after a week of investigation into their deaths, according to the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record.

Warneke's family held a memorial service for her on Saturday in Glenwood at Davis-Smith Funeral Home.

Warneke's family had her body cremated. Memorials may be made to the Kristyn Warneke Memorial Scholarship Fund at any Diamond Bank.

The investigation is still ongoing, and police are asking anyone with any information pertaining to the deaths to call the Garland County Sheriff's Department at (501) 622-3690.

Those who may have information but would like to remain anonymous are encouraged to call (501) 622-3674.

"Anyone who came in contact with the suspects or talked to them are urged to call us," Martin said.

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