SEARCY, AR - The family of 24-year-old Zach Mitchell is reeling from the news that his friend, 20-year-old Ross Wood,
has been arrested on charges of aggravated robbery in connection to Mitchell’s shooting death.
Friends found Mitchell shot to the death at this dialysis clinic where he worked as a janitor for extra money to provide for his 3-year-old son Keegan. Zach's friends say if Ross Wood needed money, Zach would have given it freely.
"I know Zach and he would have given the shirt off his back to anyone and if his friend was knocking on the door he'd let him in," says Ryan Fisher, a friend of Zach’s.
"He's one of the best people I've ever met in my life and they took him for no reason. I mean robbery, what's a couple hundred dollars, it's not worth someone's life." says Derek Cocker.
Zach’s brother Matt talked to Fox 16 about Wood. He also doesn’t understand how or why this happened.
“I knew Ross, Ross had even befriended me in a little bit of a way because Zach and I lived together for a year and a half. He came over. Ross went to high school with us both and we’ve known him for years,” said Matt.
Matt says he can’t even describe the loss, pain, and shock he feels over his brother and the accusations against his friend.
“He was just over here last week. We had just given him a grill. My brother hauled it to his house for him because he didn’t have a way to do it.”
Now, Matt says he’s looking for answers why.
“How he [Wood] can ride in the same vehicle with him, supposedly be his best buddy, come around his family, his house, his baby boy . . .”
Wood is waiting formal charges by the prosecuting attorney, the investigation is on-going and police say they continue to uncover more information. In the meantime, friends and family must move on without Zach.
"The best friend, a brother, a father, a son...no comparison there's nobody like him and there never will be," says Fisher.
