True Crime Chronicles: Killing in rural Crawford County in 2014 was fueled by unfounded rape allegations
- Dennis McCaslin
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
In the rural community of Rudy in Crawford County a dispute rooted in unverified allegations led to a fatal shooting in 2014. Jamison Lee Plum, a 19-year-old resident of Alma in became the victim of what prosecutors described as a premeditated act of vigilante justice.
On the morning of June 24, he called his mother, Lori Plum, at 10:48 a.m. to say he was heading out to meet friends. He attempted another call at 2:19 p.m., but it went unanswered, marking his last known contact.
His body was later discovered in a shallow grave, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds, as confirmed by a preliminary autopsy from the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory
.The primary suspect, Nicholas Ross Barrows, was 19 at the time and lived on property off Highway 348 near Rudy, shared with his half-brother, Jonathan Dammon Bridgewater, aged 28. Barrows, born November 1, 1994, and Bridgewater resided in separate homes on land owned by their grandmother.
The motive stemmed from Barrows' belief that Plum had raped his girlfriend, though no public court records substantiated the assault claim.
On June 24, Barrows confronted Plum on the family property and shot him multiple times with a shotgun. Witnesses later described hearing gunshots and a scream from the woods. Barrows emerged limping, claiming he had injured his ankle while hunting.
He buried Plum's body in a hasty grave under a tarp in the wooded area. Bridgewater, not present during the shooting, became involved afterward; he showed the body to his then-girlfriend, , and mentioned the rape allegation as the reason for the killing. He also admitted to stealing Nike sneakers from the victim.
The girlfriend,, fearing for her safety, contacted authorities on June 29 while retrieving her belongings from Bridgewater's home and reported the buried body.
Investigators responded to the tip and unearthed Plum's decomposed remains in the shallow grave outside Rudy. The brothers were arrested shortly after, initially charged with capital murder. The case drew attention due to the rural setting and the vigilante motive, but it resolved without a full trial
.On August 11, 2015, both pleaded guilty in Crawford County Circuit Court. Barrows admitted to first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during a felony, receiving 40 years for the murder charge and an additional 15 years for the firearm enhancement, totaling 55 years.
He must serve 70 percent before parole eligibility, projected for December 27, 2052.
Bridgewater, reduced to second-degree murder as part of a deal to testify against Barrows, was sentenced to 30 years and eligible for parole after 25 percent.
Barrows remains incarcerated at the Varner Unit in Gould . His prison record includes disciplinary violations for battery, interfering with operations, failure to obey orders, resisting apprehension, possession of contraband, and refusal to submit to substance abuse testing.
