LIVE VIDEO: THV 11 This Morning    Watch
 

POLICE SAY MAN CONFESSED TO THREE MURDERS

8:17 PM, Oct 21, 2004   |    comments
  • Share
  • Email
  • Print
  • - A A A +
  • FILED UNDER

Police say three murder mysteries have been solved. A man reportedly walked into the Perry County Sheriff's Department early Wednesday morning and admitted to killing three Arkansans within two months of each other. Police say 38-year-old Stephen Allen Talley of Perryville told police he first picked up 19-year-old Carson Prince after her car ran out of gas on April 28, 1999. They say he said he was “looking for someone to rape” and saw Prince on the side of the road. A police affidavit says, “Talley stated that he picked her up and headed southbound on Interstate 430 towards Highway 10. Carson began to realize that something was wrong and panicked. According to Talley, Carson told him ‘my dad’s the mayor of Little Rock and if anything happened to her, he would haunt him for the rest of his life.’ Talley stated he became scared and struck Carson in the head with a crescent wrench.” The affidavit goes on to say that Prince opened the door and was trying to get out. Police say Talley said he put on the brakes and she fell out of the truck. Prince’s dad, Tom Prince, was already in Arkansas from his home in St. Louis when he got word of Talley’s confession and arrest. Prince's son, a soldier in the Arkansas National Guard, just returned from Iraq. The two were visiting Wednesday night when he got the news. We spoke with Tom Prince and you can read and watch his interview by clicking on the link. Prince’s mother says she is holding off from commenting right now. Two months after Carson Prince died, police say Talley admitted to killing 25-year-old Christopher Barnes and raping and murdering Barnes' girlfriend, 16-year-old Barbara Leggitt on June 21, 1999. These murders happened in Perry County. Police say he told them he had to kill Barnes, so he could attack and rape Leggitt. They say Talley says he killed Barnes and then abducted Leggitt and took her to another place where he raped and strangled her using twine. Police say Talley says he then dragged her body away from the road and disposed of it. He told police where her remains could be found and they did find human skeletal remains at the location. The remains have now been sent to the Crime Lab for identification. We spoke with Leggitt’s parents, Susan and Paul Leggitt. Click on the link to read and watch their interview. And if you want to hear what Barnes’ family’s reaction, click on the THVideo icon in this story.