2 bodies discovered; suspect named

So this isn't much of a post, but I was in high school with Timothy. And we were friends after a fashion. This is the second third of my high school friends that was murdered since drugs became a problem there...

It really breaks my heart.

We need tougher laws on meth (something besides locking up the Sudafed... like most people buy this stuff legally). Maybe then my friends, even my odd ones from high school, can live to be old friends.

From the Harrison Daily Times
2 bodies discovered; suspect named
By JAMES L. WHITE, Times Staff - jamesw@commpub.com
09/17/2007


Staff Photo/James L. White
William "Bill" Ashworth, 41, of Newton County was escorted from the Newton County Jail across Highway 7 to the Newton County Courthouse on Monday morning wearing a bullet-proof vest and surrounded on all sides by police officers. Newton County Sheriff Keith Slape said both he and Ashworth were concerned for the suspect's personal safety.

JASPER - Newton County Sheriff Keith Slape said Monday morning that skeletal remains of two bodies were found in Newton County over the weekend and those remains may solve a case nearly two years old.

And a suspect, William "Bill" Ashworth, 41, of Newton County, made his first appearance in court just before noon Monday.

Slape said the bodies were found in the Shiloh Mountain area, although he declined to say where exactly they were discovered.

However, he did say police believe the bodies could be those of two men who were reported missing almost two years ago. Timothy Ray Eddings, then 38, and Tilton Housden, then 22, both of Jasper, were last seen Oct. 19, 2005, after they had finished roofing a house in the Shiloh Mountain area of Newton County.

Eddings' 2001 Dodge Ram pickup was found abandoned off Highway 21 about three miles south of Fallsville about three weeks later.

At the time, then-Sheriff Charles Raulston said the vehicle was undamaged and there were no apparent signs of foul play inside or near the vehicle, although Eddings' key chain was missing and only a single key was left in the ignition. The keys to his house, ATV and motorcycle were removed from the key ring and were missing, Raulston said in 2005.

Ashworth was escorted from the Newton County Jail across Highway 7 to the Newton County Courthouse wearing a bullet-proof vest and surrounded on all sides by police officers. Slape said both he and Ashworth were concerned for the suspect's personal safety.

In that appearance before Newton County District Judge Tommy Martin, Ashworth was informed of charges the state was planning to pursue.

Deputy prosecutor Wes Bradford said in court that the state was seeking two counts of capital murder. Martin explained that because the offense is punishable by death by lethal injection he couldn't allow Ashworth to proceed without legal counsel.

Martin appointed public defender Sam Pasthing as Ashworth's counsel for the first appearance only, adding that it appeared Ashworth would be able to hire legal counsel on his own.

Martin reviewed an arrest affidavit filed by police. He told Ashworth he was looking for evidence that a crime had been committed and that "you probably committed it."

The judge ruled there was enough evidence to issue an arrest warrant for Ashworth, and he was bound over to the sheriff's custody until the defendant can be arraigned, at which time charges would be formally filed.

Martin told Ashworth that he had a right to argue for release from jail pending court proceedings, although the defendant must first consult with his appointed counsel.

After Ashworth and Pasthing had met privately for about 10 minutes, they returned to open court. Pasthing told Martin that Ashworth had asked if he had a right to bond.

Deputy prosecutor Bradford said the constitution doesn't guarantee a right to bond on a capital murder charge. What's more, Bradford said, a statement Ashworth gave police paralleled information authorities received from a confidential informant. That, coupled with the evidence found, led Bradford to believe no bond was justified.

Martin said that because Pasthing was only appointed for the first appearance and hadn't had a chance to review the case, it might be best to let Ashworth's hired legal counsel argue the matter of bail. Pasthing agreed and no bond was set.

Bradford said he hoped Ashworth would be arraigned Friday.

According to Sheriff Slape, a confidential informant turned himself into the FBI. The federal agency then notified the Newton County Sheriff's Office, who, working with agents from the 14th Judicial Drug Task Force, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and FBI, located the site of the bodies Friday and recovered the actual skeletal remains Saturday. He said the informant "painted a picture of where the bodies might be" and officers were able to locate them.

The remains were being sent to the state Crime Lab for DNA testing so they can be returned to family members for proper burial.

No further information was available Monday night, but the Daily Times will update the story in Tuesday's edition.


©Harrison Daily Times 2007

Comments
Added: Tuesday September 18, 2007 at 10:09 AM EST
Religion
You have formed your opinion of this man, and that is fine. However, bringing God into this is wrong. God can forgive all men, even murderers. The only unforgivable sin is blasphemy. We all sin; we all break commandments. God hates all sin. Remember the Bible says to pray for our enemies and forgive them as he forgave us. It is hard to do, but must be done to walk with Jesus.
AL, Harrison, AR

Added: Tuesday September 18, 2007 at 10:00 AM EST
Loss / Judgement
Sorry for your loss, but do not allow your built up anger to cloud your judgement. No one should be condeming or passing judgement on Mr. Ashworth, there hasn't been a trial. Unless you were there you can't know what took place that day or what events your family was involved in before that day.
Concerned Citizen, Jasper, AR

Added: Monday September 17, 2007 at 08:53 PM EST
Thanks to the Harrison Daily Times
I am the aunt of Tilton Housden. First of all, thank you to the Harrison Daily Times for the great coverage you have given this story over the past two years. The media is our greatest friend when we have a family member missing. Although this is a devasting time for our family, and the family of Tim Eddings too, I fall to my knees and thank God that we have some type of closure. I ask of anyone reading this to pray for the families of Joshua Middleton and Nathan Caleb Camerer too, still two of the missing men of Newton County Arkansas. Not knowing what has happened to a loved one is one of the most cruel things imaginable, you think of them every day, but especially on holidays, and birthdays, which I share with my nephew Tilton. The past 23 months has been sheer hell for all of us, and thankfully we are getting some answers. To the informant that shared this information, may God bless you, and to all of those of you who knew something and never told, SHAME on you, and I mean it in the religious sense, just not language. Although I would love to, I will not divulge any information I have on this case, but it was an extremely cruel execution of these two men. To Mr. Ashworth, not only have you taken the lives and destroyed the family of Tilton and Tim, but you have destroyed your own family too, now all your children will be known as the kids' whose daddy is a murderer, and your wife/ex-wife will be known as the woman married to the murderer, etc...I hope you have time to think about all of it before your execution, and I hope you have suffered knowing you did the dirty deed, like the families of Tilton and Tim have suffered all these grueling years. I will pray for your family, because I know, that like we, they are innocent victims too of your evilness. As I review the photo of you on the cover of the Harrison Daily Times, I giggle at the smirk on your face, your glorious 15 seconds of fame.
Enjoy it Mr. Ashworth, I would love to see that smirk melt off your face as you answer at the gates of Heaven!
Joyce Housden Minor, Trumann, AR