Kane Dane
Authorities said that a woman arrested in the killing of a former Arkansas state senator is facing new charges after she tried to hire prisoners to kill her victim’s ex-husband.
Woman Hire Inmate To Killed Victim’s Ex-Husband
Sen. Linda Collins-Smith was discovered shot dead in her Randolph County residence on June 4.
Weeks later, her dead, state police have taken custody of her former aide, Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, of Pocahontas, Arkansas. Sources reported that the suspect was charged with capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical proof in Collins-Smith’s case.
Now officials stated that after she went to prison, she tried to hire her cellmates at different times to murder Phil Smith and his wife, according to a probable cause affidavit issued on Tuesday. It explained that Phil Smith as the victim’s ex-husband.
In October, she said to one of the prisoners that she desired Smith’s death to look like a suicide concluded with a note, according to the affidavit. The affidavit stated that instead of getting payment from her, she said to the prisoners to steal gold and silver from the couple’s house. The affidavit stated that one of the prisoners was the suspect’s cellmate for three months.
O’Donnell said to the inmates she was targeting the victim’s ex-husband because he had set her up. the affidavit stated that she also urged the prisoners to find her car in police custody and burn it to dismiss evidence that she alleged was planted.
Charges
A list of new charges has been registered against her based on data from the jailhouse informants.
According to court documents, in the murder-for-hire plan, O’Donnell was charged with solicitation to commit capital murder and solicitation to commit tampering with physical proof while in custody of the Jackson County Jail.
Her family stated that it’s standing by her and does not consider the latest accusations. In a statement, her fiance noted that his faith in her is “unwavering,” according to the sources.
‘We cannot believe the evidence will prove these allegations. The allegations challenge believability,’ the statement said. ‘I would not even comment on the informant’s extensive criminal history but instead will wait to see if the State provides credible proof at trial.’
