ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:31 A.M., THE JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A CALL ABOUT A SUBJECT LOCATED AT 601 SOUTH MAIN STREET IN JACKSONPORT, ARKANSAS THAT COULDN'T BREATHE. A SECOND CALL WAS RECEIVED A SHORT TIME LATER AND IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE SUBJECT HAD BEEN SHOT. SHERIFF DAVID LUCAS, CHIEF DEPUTY CHARLES VAUGHN, INVESTIGATOR DAVID PLATT AND INVESTIGATOR ALLEN EDWARDS FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE CALL ALONG WITH THE NEWPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT EMS.
UPON PLATT AND EDWARDS ARRIVING AT THE SCENE THE VICTIM WAS FOUND INSIDE THE RESIDENCE LYING IN THE BATHTUB. THE VICTIM WAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING REBECCA SUE CASON, AGE 34, OF 601 SOUTH MAIN STREET IN JACKSONPORT. MS. CASON WAS FOUND TO HAVE A SINGLE GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HER CHEST WITH AN EXIT WOUND ON THE LOWER LEFT SIDE OF HER BACK. SHE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO HARRIS HOSPITAL BY THE NEWPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT EMS AND WAS LATER TRANSFERRED TO A LITTLE ROCK HOSPITAL.
WHILE AT THE RESIDENCE, INVESTIGATORS RECOVERED A .22 CALIBER BOLT-ACTION RIFLE THAT CONTAINED A FIRED CARTRIDGE IN THE CHAMBER AND NO OTHER LIVE ROUNDS IN THE MAGAZINE. INVESTIGATORS ALSO RECOVERED, AT THE BATHTUB, A .22 CALIBER CARTRIDGE IN A LOCATION THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE INCIDENT OCCURRING AT THE BATHTUB. INVESTIGATORS ALSO DETERMINED, BASED ON THE EVIDENCE FOUND AT THE SCENE, THAT THE SHOOTING WAS SELF-INFLICTED.