'She was a rich broker': Chilling words of paroled thief arrested for murder of Arkansas realtor Beverly Carter as he's pictured in his mugshot

  • Arron Lewis, 33, was apprehended Monday morning in Little Rock after he was spotted by police in a car crash on Sunday
  • They took him to hospital but he fled while they waited outside ward 
  • Beverly Carter, 49, was showing a home in Scott, Arkansas, on Thursday
  • Husband Carl went looking for her after she didn't come home 
  • Mrs Carter's body has been found buried in the grounds of a concrete company, Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said 
  • When asked 'why Beverly?', Lewis replied 'because she was just a woman that worked alone, a rich broker'
  • Lewis denied killing Carter and implicated a mystery co-defendant named Trevor 
  • He pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning to capital murder, kidnapping and gun possession charges 

Arron Lewis pleaded not guilty to capital murder in the slaying of real estate agent Beverly Carter in rural Arkansas 

Arron Lewis pleaded not guilty to capital murder in the slaying of real estate agent Beverly Carter in rural Arkansas 

A convicted thief out on parole has been charged with murder in the killing of a missing Arkansas realtor, whose body was discovered in a shallow grave at a concrete company early Tuesday.

Investigators found the body of Beverly Carter, 49, Tuesday, at Argos Concrete Company in a rural area about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock.

Hours later, Arron Lewis, 33, was charged with capital murder, kidnapping and multiple counts of gun possession.  

Carter's body was found more than 20 miles away from Scott, where she had an appointment to show a house Thursday but hadn't been seen since. 

During a press conference held late Tuesday afternoon, Capt Simon Haynes, the lead investigator working the case, revealed that Lewis was Beverly Carter's mystery prospective home buyer.  

When asked about a possible motive, Haynes described the 49-year-old real estate agent as a 'target of opportunity' for Lewis. 

While officials remained tight-lipped on the details pertaining to the investigation, Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay did say they were able to track Mrs Carter's phone leading to the discovery of her body.

The sheriff, however, would not say how she died.

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Warrant: Police have issued a warrant for Aaron Lewis (left) in connection with the disappearance of realtor Beverly Carter (right). He was spotted in a vehicle crash this afternoon where he sustained facial injuries
Warrant: Police have issued a warrant for Aaron Lewis (left) in connection with the disappearance of realtor Beverly Carter (right). He was spotted in a vehicle crash this afternoon where he sustained facial injuries

Caught: Police have charged Lewis (left) with the murder of realtor Beverly Carter (right)

Grim discovery: Mrs Carter's body was found in a shallow grave at Argos Concrete Company in a rural area about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock (pictured beyond the donut store)

Grim discovery: Mrs Carter's body was found in a shallow grave at Argos Concrete Company in a rural area about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock (pictured beyond the donut store)

Area of investigation: This map shows where Mrs Carter's body was found in relation to her last known location

Area of investigation: This map shows where Mrs Carter's body was found in relation to her last known location

Lewis, 33, was apprehended in Little Rock by the local police at around 10am Monday in connection with the case.

He made his initial court appearance Tuesday morning, pleading not guilty to capital murder, kidnapping and four counts of possession of firearm.

He reportedly told the judge that he is sorry and wants the whole thing to be over. 

As he was being led in handcuffs to a car to be transported to Pulaski County Jail at around 6am, a KARK reporter asked Lewis if he killed Beverly Carter.

'No,' he replied, adding that he has not seen her for two days.

Perp walk: Lewis is seen here been led in handcuffs to a car that would transport him to Pulaski County Jail

Perp walk: Lewis is seen here been led in handcuffs to a car that would transport him to Pulaski County Jail

Lewis implicated a mystery co-defendant named Trevor
Lewis denied killing the realtor

Blame game: Lewis denied killing Carter and implicated a mystery co-defendant named Trevor 

Lewis then implicated a 'co-defendant' named Trevor working for US Air Force at a military base.

In response to a reporter's question 'why Beverly?' he replied: 'Because she was just a woman that worked alone, a rich broker.'

When asked what he would say to the victim's family, Lewis said from the back to the police vehicle: 'sorry.' 

Pulaski County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden later told KARK that 'Trevor' was not a suspect in the kidnapping and murder case.

Captain Haynes reiterated during the press conference that they do not consider 'Trevor' a suspect at this time.   

It's understood that Lewis did not give up the location of the body, but that police received a tip that led them to the makeshift burial site in the 12100 block of Highway 5 in Cabot.

'We didn't know for sure until midnight that she was not alive,' Sheriff Holladay told reporters Tuesday. 

Following the devastating discovery, the Carter family released a statement mourning the loss of their 'precious Beverly.'

'There is now a hole in our hearts that will never be filled,' the statement read. 'Mr Lewis robbed us of an amazing wife, loving mother and grandmother.'

The Carters thanked law enforcement officials and volunteers for helping in the search effort, and their community for offering them support. 

'We draw some comfort in knowing that she is now in the arms of Jesus,' the statement concluded.

The Little Rock blog Forbidden Hillcrest tweeted that Lewis was captured in Pleasant Pointe apartments on Green Mountain Drive after allegedly pulling a knife on a bystander. 

A passerby recognized Lewis from the news coverage and approached him, sending the man fleeing towards the Pleasant Pointe apartments. 

Cornered: Lewis jumped from a window and tried to flee, but was surrounded by officers (pictured) 

Nowhere to run: Lewis is pictured with his hands cuffed behind his back outside a Little Rock housing complex 

Nowhere to run: Lewis is pictured with his hands cuffed behind his back outside a Little Rock housing complex 

First look: Eyewitness Adam Nash photographed Arron Lewis' arrest outside an apartment complex in Little Rock after he had allegedly pulled a knife on him

First look: Eyewitness Adam Nash photographed Arron Lewis' arrest outside an apartment complex in Little Rock after he had allegedly pulled a knife on him

Humble abode: This is a house in Little Rock where murder suspect Arron Lewis once lived

Humble abode: This is a house in Little Rock where murder suspect Arron Lewis once lived

As responding officers arrived outside the building, Lewis allegedly burst into the manager's office and jumped out the window in an attempt to flee, but was immediately caught.

Lewis was named as a 'person of interest' after being involved in a car accident and taken to a hospital by police - before fleeing while officers thought he was having a CT scan done.

Authorities released images of Lewis, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, with blood on his face following the crash in a bid to track him down.

According to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a call at around 10am Sunday about a single-vehicle crash in the 8700 block of Cato Road in Jacksonville, in which Arron Lewis' vehicle smashed into a concrete culvert.

A bloodied Mr Lewis reportedly told the responding officers that someone had run him off the road.

A witness told investigators that Lewis was driving at a high speed when he lost control of his vehicle in a curve, KARK reported..

Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay told reporters Monday afternoon that Arron Lewis was being interviewed

Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay told reporters Monday afternoon that Arron Lewis was being interviewed

Notorious: Lewis has criminal records in several states, including Arkansas, Missouri and Utah 

Boyfriend: The 33-year-old  is seen here with a woman believed to be his girlfriend

Boyfriend: The 33-year-old is seen here with a woman believed to be his girlfriend

The sheriff's office also has revealed that the 33-year-old is an active parolee with a long criminal history, including charges of felony theft; accomplice to theft; unlawful removal of theft device; obstruction of government operations, and other counts.

Lewis also has rap sheets in Kansas City, Missouri, and in Utah. He was released on parole in Arkansas in August 2013.

Earlier, Mrs Carter's husband of 35 years, Carl, made a tearful plea for authorities and residents to do all they can to find her.

Mr Carter found his wife's car abandoned outside the house, which was left unlocked and open.

'I'm going to try to be strong as best I can - I just want my wife back,' he said. 

He appeared before cameras looking tired and distraught, as one neighbor revealed he saw a 'skinny white man' pull up at the house in a pick-up truck around the time of the disappearance. 

Search: Lewis, 33, of Jacksonville, is at large after fleeing the hospital he was taken to following his crash
Neighbors reported seeing a 'skinny white man' in a pick-up truck

Search is over: Lewis (left and right), 33, of Jacksonville, had been on the run since Sunday after fleeing the hospital where he was taken following a crash

Dark past: Lewis has a long criminal history and is currently an active parolee 

Dark past: Lewis has a long criminal history and is currently an active parolee 

Mr Carter, who raised the alarm after his wife didn't come back from her appointment after three and a half hours, has since received unusual text messages from her phone, but no other sign of her.

Describing the moments he went to look for her, he told KARK: 'By eight o'clock I knew something was wrong - but I waited to eight thirty. I went up in the house, went through every closet, everything.'

He could find no sign of her inside, and police and volunteers have been searching ever since.

It is unclear whether the pick-up driver was the buyer Mrs Carter was going to meet.

Beverly Carter, 49, vanished from the property in Scott, near Little Rock, Arkansas, after meeting an unknown person at the address Thursday evening.

She was reported missing by her husband, Carl, after she didn't make contact with her family after the 5.30pm appointment.

Missing: Carl Carter spoke of his distress at the disappearance of his real estate agent wife on Thursday

Missing: Carl Carter spoke of his distress at the disappearance of his real estate agent wife on Thursday

Realtor: Beverly Carter worked for Crye-Leike, a real estate company in Little Rock, Arkansas
Disappeared: Searches have been running for three days for Beverly Carter

Tragic: Mrs Carter was a realtor with Crye-Leike in Little Rock, Arkansas

Matriarch: Beverly Carter has been married for 34 years and has four grandchildren 

Matriarch: Beverly Carter has been married for 34 years and has four grandchildren 

Property: Mrs Carter was showing this property in Scott, Arkansas, to an unknown buyer who reportedly said he would be willing to pay in cash

Property: Mrs Carter was showing this property in Scott, Arkansas, to an unknown buyer who reportedly said he would be willing to pay in cash

When Carter went to the property to look for his wife, he found her car, a brown Cadillac, containing her purse, outside of the house, which had a wide open door. There was no trace of her inside. 

Mrs Carter, who worked for the Crye-Leike real estate company in Little Rock, was last seen wearing a black, sleeveless shirt and red capri pants.

According to ABC News, the home had been foreclosed, and Mrs Carter was showing it to a buyer she had never met, who said he could pay in cash.

Carter, who says it is extremely unusual for his wife of 34 years not to stay in close contact, said that he received unusual texts from her number at 1am the morning after she disappeared.

Search: Mrs Carter's husband, Carl Carter, told how he went looking for his wife and found an empty home and an abandoned car
Some 200 volunteers are searching for the woman

Search: Mrs Carter's husband, Carl Carter (left), told how he went looking for his wife (right) and found an empty home and an abandoned car

He said: 'All of a sudden I received three texts in a row. One said "Yes." Then she sent another text that said, "My phone's low. The battery's down, and I'll call you whenever I get signal."

'And, then, straight back-to-back, I received a text that said "Oh, I'm out drinking with some friends."'

'Beverly's not a drinker…We just want our mom back, and my wife of 35 years…I need her.'

He told First Coast News: 'Her car was there, and the house was wide open, and I knew that something was wrong.'

Left at the house: Mrs Carter's husband arrived at the home to find her new Cadillac - with custom plates - left outside, while the door of the house was open

Left at the house: Mrs Carter's husband arrived at the home to find her new Cadillac - with custom plates - left outside, while the door of the house was open

 

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