Photo: Allison Cunningham
One of the four people charged with involvement in the murder of then 35-year-old Cody Stradford in late 2020 appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
The attorney originally hired to represent 42-year-old Allison Cunningham — Gary Mitchusson of Forrest City – recently filed a motion asking the court to allow him to withdraw from the case. In his motion, Mitchusson said he wanted off the case because Cunningham “has failed to meet her obligations in the retainer agreement executed between the parties.”
Mitchusson also appeared during Monday’s court session.
Circuit Judge John Putman said the Arkansas Public Defender Commission should be appointing an attorney to represent Cunningham, but he wanted Mitchusson to remain on the case until that was accomplished. A reluctant Mitchusson agreed.
Cunningham, who lived in Mountain Home at the time of the murder, was arrested in Hidalgo County, Texas, close to the Mexican border, with another person accused in connection with Stradford’s death, 29-year-old Ryan James Lindsey.
Photo: Ryan James Lindsey
The Texas Department of Public Safety said Lindsey and Cunningham were in two vehicles when picked up.
The vehicle Lindsey was driving had been reported stolen in the Mountain Home area.
Cunningham has entered a not guilty plea to charges of first-degree murder, arson, kidnapping, second-degree battery and possession of a firearm by a felon.
She was returned to Arkansas from Texas and booked into the Baxter County Detention Center Jan. 13, 2021.
Lindsey was returned to Arkansas from Texas on March 19, 2021 and was booked into the same jail.
VICTIM COMES TO BRAZIL’S HOME
According to investigative records, on the day he was killed, Stradford arrived at a home occupied by 39-year-old Skylar Brazil along Cresswell Drive.
Photo: Skylar Brazil
Investigators alleged that Brazil and Lindsey began beating him in the basement of the residence.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Stradford is reported to have begged the pair to stop and to have said, “I did not do that,” indicating some sort of accusation may have been made.
Complete information on how the four suspects came together and the reason behind the animosity between the group and Stradford has yet to be made public.
However, in interviews with investigators, one of those involved said the assault began because 36-year-old Ashley Hendricks of Siloam Springs had claimed that Stradford had attempted to rape her.
Photo: Ashley Hendricks
She alleged further that Stradford had given her a drug of some kind before the alleged sexual assault took place.
Stradford’s body was found Dec. 16, 2020, when a person called the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office to report finding a burned-out vehicle at a location just off Arkana Road south of Mountain Home.
When Baxter County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, they found the burned-out car with a body inside.
The State Medical Center lab identified the person found in the car as Stradford.
According to court records, the vehicle appeared to have been at the location for several days.
LAWYERS COME AND GO
In addition to Cunningham, there have been a number of other changes in the lawyer lineup.
Lindsey was originally represented by Cody Dennis. After Dennis withdrew, two lawyers were assigned to the case by the Public Defenders Commission.
Brazil was first represented by Mark C. Lucas Jr., an attorney practicing in Centerton. Lucas withdrew from the case and a new attorney, James Shaw from Fayetteville, filed an entry of appearance in early April last year.
Hendricks has also entered a not guilty plea to her charges stemming from Stradford’s murder. She has been represented by Mountain Home attorney Ben Burnett since the charges were filed.
According to court records, the bond for Hendricks was lowered from $500,000 to $250,000, and she is now free on that bond.
When the bond was lowered, Hendricks was required to wear an ankle monitor and to live with a relative in Northwest Arkansas.
Prosecutors have indicated they would seek the death penalty for Lindsey and Cunningham.
Brazil and Lindsey are serving time in prison on earlier convictions.
Lindsey is an inmate in the East Arkansas Regional Unit of the state prison system at Brickeys, and Brazil is locked up in the Varner Unit of the state prison system.
The four are among 11 people now facing murder charges in Baxter County. The case backlog was created by restrictions placed on the operations of courts by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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