A woman who worked on the campaign staff of former Arkansas state Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, whose decomposing body was found outside her home this month, has been arrested and charged with her murder.
Police in Arkansas identified the suspect as Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, 48, of Pocahontas, Ark. She appeared in court Monday and was formally charged with capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. During her court appearance she was wearing a bulletproof vest and was ordered to be held without bail.
Ken Yang, a former press secretary for Collins-Smith, 57, said that she and O’Donnell were friends and that O’Donnell had worked on her campaign in the past.
Collins-Smith, spent one term in the state House as a Democrat before switching parties in 2011. She won election to the state Senate in 2014 as a Republican. She lost reelection in the GOP primary last year.
She and her husband, retired Circuit Judge Philip Smith, divorced last year and were embroiled in a legal battle over their properties, including a motel.
After O’Donnell’s arrest, Collins-Smith’s family issued a statement: “We are sickened and upset that someone so close to Linda, would be involved in such a terrible, heartless crime. We would like to thank everyone for the continued prayers and thoughts for our family during this difficult time.”
