A Gassville woman pled guilty to lying to officers about the whereabouts of a fugitive from justice and was given three years probation during a recent session of Baxter County Circuit Court.
In early February, 35-year-old Misty Dawn Walker was accused of being involved in helping 47-year-old Jason Cockerham — who was being sought on an active felony parole warrant — evade arrest.
Officers first encountered Walker as she was driving a truck registered to Cockerham. She is reported to have denied knowing the fugitive.
The truck had been parked at the Executive Inn when first spotted. When a Mountain Home policeman pulled her over after she left the motel in the truck for a minor traffic infraction, she was asked what she had been doing at the motel.
She lied again saying she was visiting a female friend named “Jennifer.” She was unable to provide a last name.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the officer was “not confident that Walker had been honest about her reason for being at the motel.”
He returned to the Executive Inn and was able to determine that Cockerham was staying in a room there. Walker was again contacted and again said she did not know Cockerham and had “only heard the name.” She repeated her initial story that she had been at the motel to visit a female friend.
She was warned she could be charged with hindering apprehension if she was not telling the truth.
The owners of the motel provided registration information showing the room in which Cockerham had been staying had been rented by Walker and that she had used her Arkansas Driver’s license as identification.
The owners said the room was now vacant and that the male had left.
In checking records, it was found that Walker was listed as an emergency contact on Cockerham’s parole paperwork, further tying her to the fugitive.
Walker was sentenced under provisions of Act 346, the first offenders law. If she stays out of trouble during her probation, she can apply to the court to have her record sealed.
Cockerham was eventually arrested at a motel in Harrison. He is currently an inmate at the Northeast Arkansas Community Correction Center in Osceola.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI