STONE COUNTY, Ark. – Hours after four Stone County neighbors were killed in two separate homicides, neighbors are praying for answers and hoping a suspect is brought to justice. 

According to the Stone County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police, special agents were first sent to the Ben area Thursday afternoon to a home on Northcutt Road. There, they found 77-year-old Shirley Watters and her son, 55-year-old James Watters shot to death. 

While agents were working that case, they were told of another crime scene a quarter mile down the road on AR-5, where 75-year-old William Clinton Trammell and his wife, 72-year-old Sharon Trammell, had also been shot and killed and were discovered only 8 hours after the Watters. 

The killings sent the close-knit county into shock, with many questioning how something like this could have happened. 

Roger Dunham heard the news in Mountain View, close to 20 minutes away.  

“This morning at breakfast we all talked about it,” he said. “Nobody really could believe… I mean, this is a nice community.”

Dunham – a Marine Corp vet, purple heart recipient, and ex-Dallas SWAT team officer – says he moved to Mountain View to find a quiet and calm place to retire. Instead, violence once again made its way to his front door. 

“The word went out to keep your doors locked and know who’s coming up your driveway,” Dunham said, remembering the warning given by the Sheriff’s Office earlier that morning. “It’s just amazing that that happened here, it’s unbelievable.” 

Stone County Sheriff Lance Bonds says they did bring in a person of interest for questioning Thursday night but are still looking for a suspect.