Arkansas Man Charged With Murder in Hardin County Man’s Death

Authorities charged an Arkansas man with murder after being linked with a death investigation in central Iowa’s Hardin County.

Radio Iowa said Osborn Gavel, 22, of Baxter, Arkansas, allegedly 74-year-old Steve Reece of Union. Officials discovered Reece unconscious in his home’s bedroom about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. Sheriff’s deputies who went to the house at 302 Commercial Street deemed Reece’s death, KATV said.

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Witnesses then called in the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to help the local police. Gavel and others allegedly remained with Reece Monday evening, according to investigators. Reece died after Gavel hit him by a crowbar, authorities said per WHO13.

Gavel is facing first-degree murder. Authorities imprisoned him at Eldora’s Hardin County Jail.

According to the Iowa Republic of Public Safety, investigators will submit all the findings to the Hardin County Attorney’s Office for consideration once they complete the inquiry.

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Murders Increasing in Arkansas

According to the Arkansas Crime Information Center statistics obtained by Arkansas Online, the number of homicides in Arkansas in 2020 increased by 78 over 2019, representing a 34 percent rise in homicide.

The FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report released on Monday showed a 29 percent spike in murder and non-negligent manslaughter throughout the country.

The Crime Information Center said there were 310 murders in the state last year, up from 232 last year. According to FBI statistics, the state will have 308 murder crimes in 2020, compared to 235 in 2019.

The FBI gets its data from law enforcement agencies that submit information to the system. According to the FBI website, the data provided represents just 53% of the country’s population. The response from Arkansas law enforcement was greater, with the data covering about 92 percent of the state’s population.

According to the FBI study, victims in Arkansas were most likely to be between the ages of 20 and 29. The crimes were often committed in a home, with the suspect’s connection to the victim unclear. According to the study, the most frequent weapon used in homicides was a pistol.

Connor Hagan, FBI public relations officer in Little Rock, told Arkansas Online that the FBI recently discontinued a summary-based reporting system and moved to the National Incident-Based Reporting System.

He believes the move is unlikely to have increased data. Instead, it enhances the data that is already accessible so that law enforcement organizations may utilize it to meet specific requirements.

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