Arkansas State Police Investigate Suspicious Burning Death

The Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is on location investigating a suspicious burning death at a mini-storage facility just North of Carlisle, Arkansas.

The Lonoke County Sheriff's Department made the investigation request of ASP on Tuesday, January 28. The request was made upon finding a burned body in the storage facility days after the fire was extinguished back on Wednesday, January 22.

The story began at 8:15 AM on Wednesday, January 22 when the Carlisle Volunteer Fire Department got a call about a fire at the Bennet Storage Units on Highway 13 North.  Six storage units were destroyed in the blaze.

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This is where the story gets awkward, almost a week later, on Tuesday, January 28, an Insurance Agent was inspecting the units to make a damage estimate when he discovered the body of 41-year-old Carlisle resident Daniel Ford.

Ford's body will be transported to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock to determine the manner and cause of death.

The investigation is being conducted jointly by Special Agents from the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, the Lonoke County Sheriff's Department Criminal Investigation Division, and Arkansas State Police fire investigators.

There are lots of questions including;

• Was the body placed there after the fire?
• Did the deceased cause the fire?
• Was the fire set to try and cover another crime?

We will follow this story and update it when more information is released.

ASP Press Release