A Van Buren County man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 68-year-old father, according to Arkansas State Police.
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Arkansas State Police on Nov. 6 after deputies found Russell B. Branscum, 68, dead inside his home on Highway 110 near Shirley.
State police special agents identified the victim’s son, Brian J. Branscum, 31, as a suspect and arrested him two days later at a hotel in Hot Springs. He is charged with first-degree murder in connection with his father’s death.
The body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory to determine the cause and manner of death. State police said the arrest followed a coordinated effort by investigators from the agency’s Criminal Investigation Division Companies A, C, and E.
Brian J. Branscum
Image: Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office
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