BENTON - Investigators on Thursday identified a man who was shot and left for dead in a rural, wooded area in eastern Saline County.
The body of Derrick Utsey, 28, who was known to stay in Benton and in southern Arkansas, was discovered off Hensley Mail Route Road shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday. A motorist spotted the body and called authorities.
The investigation started off slow with Lt. Mike Frost of the Saline County sheriff 's office declaring that he had "no witnesses, no leads, no suspect, no identity."
By Thursday afternoon, fingerprints produced a name and "persons of interest" emerged, Frost said.
No arrests had been made by Thursday evening.
Utsey had several run-ins with the law in Saline County dating to 2002. He had been arrested on drug charges and on a third-degree battery charge and repeatedly failed to appear for court, said Lt. Hugh Gentry, who runs the Saline County jail.
Utsey was last booked into the jail in January.
Frost said a motive in his killing wasn't apparent, and he encouraged anyone with information to call detectives at (501) 303-5608.
Utsey's death marks the fourth homicide in the county this year, with two in Benton and two in the county.
That number is "a little abnormal," Saline County prosecutor Ken Casady said. But he noted that the cases aren't connected and that crime is likely to rise as the population grows.
Arkansas, Pages 17 on 10/17/2008