UPDATED AT 11:20 A.M. ON 1/16/18
Authorities still are investigating, but a Lincoln resident has been arrested in connection with a homicide that took place at the start of this past weekend.
According to a post on the Benton County Sheriff’s Department’s Facebook page, just after 9 p.m. on Friday, January 12, Benton County Central Dispatch was notified of a possible shooting victim at a mobile home park at 19078 Zion Church Road, just outside the city limits of Lincoln.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered 27-year-old Caleb L.D. Shephard outside the residence with an apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen. Deputies and E.M.S. personnel provided aid on-site before transporting Shephard by ambulance to a predetermined helicopter site, where Shephard reportedly died from his injuries.
After the initial investigation, 21-year-old William Heffernan, the resident of the mobile home was arrested.
According to online court documents, Heffernan has been charged with a Class A Felony for Murder in the Second Degree; a Class E Felony for Tampering with Physical Evidence in a Felony Prosecution; and an Unclassified Felony for Armed Criminal Action. Bond has been set at $100,000 cash or surety.
Heffernan reportedly appeared for an arraignment hearing and entered a plea of not guilty on Tuesday, January 16. His cause has been continued for another hearing at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 23, at Benton County Circuit Court in Warsaw.