Arkansas State Police: Agency takes lead in investigation in Wednesday murder of Bradley County man

Arkansas State Police investigators are treating the death of a 53-year-old local man as a homicide after he was found shot outside an apartment complex in the early hours of Wednesday, August 5, 2026.

According to the official release from Arkansas State Police, Warren Police Department officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 12:50 a.m. reporting a man lying on the ground outside an apartment in the 900 block of Halligan Street.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a gunshot victim later identified as Billy Wayne Smith, 53, of Warren. The Bradley County Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene.

The Warren Police Department requested assistance from the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, which has taken the lead on the homicide investigation.

Smith’s body is being transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Little Rock, where the official manner and cause of death will be determined.

No suspect has been publicly identified at this stage, and authorities are releasing no additional details while the investigation remains active.

The 900 block of Halligan Street includes Creekwood Place Apartments (around 901 Halligan St.), a small residential complex in this southeast Arkansas community of roughly 5,000–6,000 residents in Bradley County.

The quiet residential street mixes single-family homes and apartment units, typical of Warren’s modest housing stock.

This remains a developing story. Early-stage homicide investigations in smaller Arkansas jurisdictions frequently involve the state police CID when local resources request specialized support.

Officials have indicated the probe is ongoing and that further information will be released only as appropriate.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact local authorities or Arkansas State Police. Updates will follow as the investigation progresses.