Authorities are investigating a case as a homicide after a man died from head injuries.

An officer found Christopher Patterson 35, unconscious and on the ground with blood on his head around 12:45 a.m. Sunday near the Saline River, according to a report from the Saline County sheriff's office. Patterson's wife, Rhiannon Patterson, had discovered him in this condition. They believed that he was intoxicated and had possibly fallen and hit his head, the report said.

Patterson was transported to Saline Memorial Hospital where they discovered his head had sustained severe trauma. He was transported to UAMS Medical Center and rushed into surgery. He succumbed to his injuries at 10:20 p.m. Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Saline County sheriff's office Danny Wayne Stalnaker + Enlarge

An officer spoke to Rhiannon while she was traveling to the hospital. She said she had been told that her husband and Danny Wayne Stalnaker, 64, had been in an argument that ended with Patterson being hit in the head with a shotgun, according to the report.

The sheriff's office is seeking Stalnaker as a suspect in the case, the report said.