A Gassville man has been arrested Thursday morning in connection with the murders of Donald and Ladonna Rice on November seventh, 2015. Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery says, 28-year-old Talmadge Beigh Pendergrass was arrested on a federal felony warrant charging him with making a false statement in the acquisition of a firearm.
He is in the Baxter County Jail awaiting transfer into the custody of The United States Marshals office in Fayetteville.
According to the Sheriff the arrest of Pendergrass by Deputies from his office and the Arkansas State Police, followed an investigation into the purchase of a 9mm pistol, purchased at a local grocery store in Mountain Home, by Pendergrass for Nicholas Roos, that was used in the murder of the midway couple at their home on County Road 508 on November seventh, 2015.
Nicholas Roos was convicted of capital murder and other charges after pleading guilty in Baxter County Circuit Court in May of last year. Two codefendants, Zach Tyler Grayham and Mikayla Jordan Mynk, have also taken plea offers in circuit court for their involvement in the crimes. All three are currently incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
During the investigation it was learned Roos and Pendergrass went to the Mountain Home store on the day prior to the murders. Roos made an application to purchase the handgun which was denied by the background check. Video evidence shows Roos gave cash to Pendergrass who then made an application to purchase the firearm, which was approved. Pendergraass, who took possession of the gun stated on the application he was the buyer, when in fact he was making the purchase for another person, Roos, which is a violation of the law.
Information was given to investigators by federal authorities who sought the indictment of Pendergrass.
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