Murder suspect caught after homeowner finds man stuck inside his chimney
Published 6:47 am Saturday, March 20, 2021
One homeowner said there are just some things you can’t make up when he helped law enforcement catch an accused murder when he found the man yelling for help from inside his chimney.
WREG in Memphis reports that Forrest City, Arkansas, police arrested Elliot Stewart, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder after firefighters helped pull Stewart out of the chimney.
According to police, Stewart fled from officers after stabbing and killing Jimmie Rogers, 28, early Friday morning. The stabbing, officials say, resulted from an argument over a woman.
When officers arrived at the scene of the stabbing, Stewart reportedly ran to a stranger’s home, climbed to the roof and then entered the chimney.
Soon after, the homeowner heard banging and cries for help from inside his fireplace. Stunned, the homeowner called 911 to report what he had found.
The two were reportedly arguing about a woman.
Fire officials said they pulled Stewart from the bottom of the chimney after removing some bricks from the fireplace.
Stewart is being held at the St. Francis County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.