Two dead in Washburn shooting, kidnapped child found safe
Paschall
January 7, 2015
Charlea Mills
The man accused of killing a woman and her grandfather and kidnapping a two year old was arrested Monday evening and is awaiting extradition back to Barry County.
Christopher Lee Paschall, 37, Springdale, Ark., allegedly showed up at Herbert Townsend’s residence on Farm Road 1055 near 8th Street in Washburn and shot his ex-girlfriend Casie Brace, 29, and her grandfather, Townsend, 76, before kidnapping he and Brace’s daughter, Alli Paschall, and taking her back to Springdale.
The Barry County Sheriff’s Department received a call from the residence on Monday, January 5, but according to the affidavit of probable cause, the dispatchers could not understand what the male caller was saying. When Deputy Bill Watkins entered the home, he saw Brace on the floor but could not find her pulse. He heard Townsend moan from across the room. Townsend was holding a rifle but dropped the weapon when he saw Watkins.
When Watkins asked, “Who did this?”, Townsend told him it was Chris Paschall. Paschall and Brace had a tumultuous relationship, according to Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly. He said that Paschall had been stalking Brace for months. He also confirmed that she had taken out an order of protection against him but the stalking hadn’t stopped.
According to court records, Paschall had an order of protection filed against him for adult abuse stalking in October and was charged twice with violating that order since then. Paschall was charged in October for violating the order and then again on December 15.
Without Townsend’s keeping his wits about him, officers would not have found the child safe and taken Paschall into custody as quickly as they did. Sheriff Mick Epperly stated, “I had one of his family members say that he was a hero, and he absolutely was. He was shot four times and still was able to reach a phone and call 911. Even though he was suffering, he was able to pass along that information on what we needed. What a hero.”
An Amber Alert was issued for Alli around 4:38 p.m. on Monday afternoon but cancelled shortly after when Paschall was found at his parents’ house in Springdale, Ark. Epperly said that they relied on a cell phone signal from the immediate area of his parents’ residence, but his car was parked some distance from the home. Epperly said, “When officers reached the house, Chris’s father said that he was upstairs, and they saw the little girl there safe, which was a blessing.” He said that Paschall was taken into custody without incident.
Paschall now faces three charges in Barry County: class A felony murder in the first degree, class A felony assault in the first degree and felony armed criminal action. His warrant includes a $1,000,000 bond, but Paschall is still held in the Washington County Jail.
Townsend was taken to a hospital in Springfield for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries later that night.
Brace was the mother of three children, two of them with Paschall, according to Epperly. The two older children were not in the home during the shooting because they were at school. Epperly said that the youngest, Alli, is currently in child protective custody in Arkansas, but the other children are with family members, he believes.
Paschall is currently being held in the Washington County Jail in Fayetteville, Ark. According to jail records, Paschall is facing possession of a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft by receiving in Washington County, Ark., Circuit Court. Epperly said that he isn’t sure when he will be brought back to Barry County to be arraigned.
Epperly said, “If he didn’t have any charges against him down in Arkansas, we would probably get him back here this week assuming he signed the waiver of extradition without any issues. But since he has charges there, too, I’m not sure when he’ll be brought up here. We will get him arraigned as soon as possible.”
Charlea Mills
The man accused of killing a woman and her grandfather and kidnapping a two year old was arrested Monday evening and is awaiting extradition back to Barry County.
Christopher Lee Paschall, 37, Springdale, Ark., allegedly showed up at Herbert Townsend’s residence on Farm Road 1055 near 8th Street in Washburn and shot his ex-girlfriend Casie Brace, 29, and her grandfather, Townsend, 76, before kidnapping he and Brace’s daughter, Alli Paschall, and taking her back to Springdale.
The Barry County Sheriff’s Department received a call from the residence on Monday, January 5, but according to the affidavit of probable cause, the dispatchers could not understand what the male caller was saying. When Deputy Bill Watkins entered the home, he saw Brace on the floor but could not find her pulse. He heard Townsend moan from across the room. Townsend was holding a rifle but dropped the weapon when he saw Watkins.
When Watkins asked, “Who did this?”, Townsend told him it was Chris Paschall. Paschall and Brace had a tumultuous relationship, according to Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly. He said that Paschall had been stalking Brace for months. He also confirmed that she had taken out an order of protection against him but the stalking hadn’t stopped.
According to court records, Paschall had an order of protection filed against him for adult abuse stalking in October and was charged twice with violating that order since then. Paschall was charged in October for violating the order and then again on December 15.
Without Townsend’s keeping his wits about him, officers would not have found the child safe and taken Paschall into custody as quickly as they did. Sheriff Mick Epperly stated, “I had one of his family members say that he was a hero, and he absolutely was. He was shot four times and still was able to reach a phone and call 911. Even though he was suffering, he was able to pass along that information on what we needed. What a hero.”
An Amber Alert was issued for Alli around 4:38 p.m. on Monday afternoon but cancelled shortly after when Paschall was found at his parents’ house in Springdale, Ark. Epperly said that they relied on a cell phone signal from the immediate area of his parents’ residence, but his car was parked some distance from the home. Epperly said, “When officers reached the house, Chris’s father said that he was upstairs, and they saw the little girl there safe, which was a blessing.” He said that Paschall was taken into custody without incident.
Paschall now faces three charges in Barry County: class A felony murder in the first degree, class A felony assault in the first degree and felony armed criminal action. His warrant includes a $1,000,000 bond, but Paschall is still held in the Washington County Jail.
Townsend was taken to a hospital in Springfield for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries later that night.
Brace was the mother of three children, two of them with Paschall, according to Epperly. The two older children were not in the home during the shooting because they were at school. Epperly said that the youngest, Alli, is currently in child protective custody in Arkansas, but the other children are with family members, he believes.
Paschall is currently being held in the Washington County Jail in Fayetteville, Ark. According to jail records, Paschall is facing possession of a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft by receiving in Washington County, Ark., Circuit Court. Epperly said that he isn’t sure when he will be brought back to Barry County to be arraigned.
Epperly said, “If he didn’t have any charges against him down in Arkansas, we would probably get him back here this week assuming he signed the waiver of extradition without any issues. But since he has charges there, too, I’m not sure when he’ll be brought up here. We will get him arraigned as soon as possible.”
