Photo: Terry Teeter Jr.
On Dec. 13, 2015, Terry Teeter Jr. was driving an SUV on Arkansas Highway 5 North.
His vehicle crossed into the southbound lane and smashed head-on into a Nissan Maxima, killing then 22-year-old Christopher Jordan of Mountain Home.
During a session of Baxter County Circuit Court in March 2016, Teeter, who listed a Gassville address at the time, was given 10 years in prison on manslaughter and other charges, including selling methamphetamine and stealing a truck.
The 36-year-old Teeter was denied parole for a year following a hearing on May 7, according to just released information from the State Parole Board. He has spent approximately four years and two months behind bars as of the date of his hearing.
As part of the accident investigation in 2015, tests were run on Teeter’s blood with positive results for cannabinoids, methamphetamine and opiates.
On the day of the fatal crash, Teeter had been involved in a domestic disturbance with his ex-wife and had taken off in her vehicle without permission.
It was the ex-wife’s vehicle that was eventually involved in the fatal accident on Highway 5 North.
Immediately after the wreck, witnesses said Teeter ran into nearby woods. He did not make it very far, however.
A resident living on State Highway 5 North called 911 advising there was an injured man on his back porch. An Arkansas State trooper went to the home and took Teeter into custody without incident.
Teeter has had problems both inside and outside prison walls. Criminal charges have been filed against him in Baxter, Marion, Mississippi and Izard counties.
In addition to the manslaughter and other charges stemming from the 2015 fatal accident, Teeter has been charged with domestic battering, forgery and various drug-related offenses.
While in prison, Teeter has committed 17 major disciplinary violations, including threatening to inflict injury, refusing direct verbal orders, refusal to submit to substance abuse testing, insolence to a staff member and possession of contraband, according to prison records.
He was even charged with a new crime while being held in the North Central Unit of the state prison system at Calico Rock.
According to the probable cause in that case, a mental health worker was sneaking a prohibited item to Teeter, and writing him messages on the prison’s email system using an alias.
Prison officials became aware of the situation in mid-March 2018 and brought in the State Police to investigate.
Both Teeter and the mental health worker were alleged to have admitted to the contraband smuggling.
The case, which was filed in Izard County Circuit Court, was eventually dropped by the state.
Teeter has been before the Arkansas Parole Board before. A decision on his status was deferred in November last year. He was denied parole for a two-year period in November 2017
Teeter is an inmate in the Tucker unit of the state prison system.
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