Missouri authorities arrest man in connection with Searcy Co. homicide investigation

SEARCY COUNTY, Ark. – Searcy County deputies said an Arkansas man was arrested in Missouri after a body was found in a home on Thursday

In a release from the Searcy County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said 75-year-old Jeffrey Stansbery of St. Joe, Arkansas, was arrested in Branson, Missouri in connection with an ongoing homicide investigation.

SCSO officials said they received a call on Thursday from a hospital in Branson referencing Stansbery. Officials said they were told that Stansbery had entered the hospital complaining about a medical condition and making statements about harming a woman. Searcy County authorities said they then asked the Branson Police Department to dispatch units to speak with Stansbery.

After officers arrived, they said Stansbery had told them he had possibly harmed a woman in Searcy County, sparking an investigation by the Searcy County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said they performed a welfare check at Stansbery’s residence in St. Joe. Officials said investigators then received information that led them to believe that the victim was dead and hidden inside the home.

Authorities said they later obtained a search warrant for the home and discovered a body that had been hidden. Arkansas State Police identified the victim as 43-year-old Amanda Stansbery, Jeffrey Stansbery’s wife.

According to the release, Stansbery is currently in custody in Branson before being returned to Searcy County.

Officials said Stansbery is facing a charge of capital murder and a charge of abuse of a corpse.

The release also notes that Stansbery has a prior violent conviction in Texas.

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