The Texarkana Gazette is reporting: Bond set for man facing murder charges Hill, 43, accused of killing two women and 9-year-old girl By: Jim Williamson - Texarkana Gazette Staff photo by Evan Lewis • Timothy Allen Hill, 43, of Pike County, Ark., is brought into the courtroom Monday morning at the Pike County Law Enforcement Center for a first appearance and to set Hill’s bond. Hill has been arrested in the deaths of his wife, Dana Hill, mother-in-law, Julie Hartsfield and Dana Hill’s 9-year-old niece Autumn Hartsfield. Bond has been set at $1 million. Staff photo by Evan Lewis • Timothy Allen Hill, 43, of Pike County, Ark., is brought into the courtroom Monday morning at the Pike County Law Enforcement Center for a first appearance and to set Hill’s bond. Hill has been arrested in the deaths of his wife, Dana Hill, mother-in-law, Julie Hartsfield and Dana Hill’s 9-year-old niece Autumn Hartsfield. Bond has been set at $1 million. Staff photo by Evan Lewis • Robert Hartsfield makes a gesture as he says something to Timothy Allen Hill as Hill is brought into the courtroom Monday morning at the Pike County Law Enforcement Center. Hartsfield was removed from the courtroom after the outburst. Staff photo by Evan Lewis • Robert Hartsfield makes a gesture as he says something to Timothy Allen Hill as Hill is brought into the courtroom Monday morning at the Pike County Law Enforcement Center. Hartsfield was removed from the courtroom after the outburst. HILL HILL Timothy Allen Hill, 43, of Pike County, Ark., rocked in his chair listening to a criminal investigator describe how Hill allegedly murdered two women and a 9-year-old girl. Hill made his first court appearance Monday morning after he was arrested for the murders of Dana Hill, 33, his estranged wife; Julie Hartsfield, 54, Dana Hill’s mother; and Autumn Hartsfield, 9, the granddaughter of Julie Hartsfield and a niece of Dana Hill. The murders occurred late Saturday afternoon, and Hill was arrested near the house at 3489 state Highway 301, about 8 miles southeast of Murfreesboro. Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigator Hays McWhirter testified about the discovery law enforcement officers made at the house and in the car during their investigation Saturday night through early Sunday morning. Ninth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Charles Yeargan listened to McWhirter explain where the victims were found and how Hill confessed to South Central Drug Task Force Agent Pep Glenn, who has also served as a Pike County sheriff. Glenn lives about a mile from the Hill house. Hill was ordered to stand up at the podium, and he answered questions about his rights and if he had hired an attorney. Hill said he had hired Rowe Stayton and Dana Stone, attorneys from Prescott, Ark. Hill stood next to Prosecutor Bryan Chesshir while Yeargan set his bond at $1 million and scheduled an arraignment for Hill to enter a plea at 9 a.m. July 22 in the Pike County Law Enforcement Center in Murfreesboro. Yeargan told Chesshir the court appearance could be delayed if needed until July 29. McWhirter said Julie Hartsfield was found in the driver’s seat of a white 2003 BMW parked in the driveway. Autumn Hartsfield was found alive in the back seat of the car and was rushed by helicopter to a Hot Springs hospital where she died Saturday night. Dana Hill was found shot to death in a bathroom in the house. Chesshir said a single gunshot was found in the door knob of the bathroom. The BMW had eight bullet holes. Pike County sheriff’s deputies responded at 7:05 p.m. Saturday to a 911 call of a shooting at the home in the Billstown community. Tim Hill was spotted riding a four-wheel ATV with a rifle. Glenn arrested Hill and placed him in handcuffs. He later told Glenn he shot the two women and the child. Arkansas State Police Special Agent Jimmie Thomas interviewed Hill at the jail Saturday night. The information, along with other information from law enforcement, was used to prepare the application for a search warrant. Yeargan granted the search warrant. Hill said he took his two sons to his father’s house across the road. The sons are 2 and 5 years old, according to the statement. Hill said he knew his wife was coming to get the two boys. The couple was going through a divorce, but it has not been finalized. Chesshir said it’s uncertain why the couple had filed for divorce and how it could have triggered Hill’s outrage. Hill’s wife arrived and came into the house. “They did not fight or argue while she was in the house. She went to the bathroom and he then went to the hall closet, retrieved his SKS rifle and went outside,” said the state police report. Hill said he shot the BMW car his mother-in-law was sitting in, and he knew she was inside the car. He told the investigator he was mad at Hartsfield because she was trying to “turn his two boys against him.” He also said after the shooting the vehicle, he went back into the house where his wife was in the bathroom. “He pointed the rifle at her and asked her ‘Why?’ The gun then went off. He stated he meant to shoot his mother-in-law, but did not mean to shoot his wife,” the affidavit stated. “He did not know why he did (it). He then stated he did not know the little girl was in the vehicle when he shot at this mother-in-law,” according to the statement. The family said nothing seemed unusual with Tim Hill earlier in the day. “He seemed to be distraught when he took his two sons to his father’s house,” Chesshir said. Dana Hill was employed at Wadley Regional Medical Center in Hope. Julie Hartsfield was employed as a secretary in the Alumni Office at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. SAU issued a brief statement Monday about Julie Hartsfield: “Southern Arkansas University is saddened by the tragic loss of Julie Hartsfield, whose friendly, caring, and loving spirit served the University for 15 loyal years. She was an administrative specialist II in the SAU Alumni Office.”. Alumni director Veil Bridges said, “Julie will live on as a person who cared for her family and all her student workers. She would do anything for anyone. SAU is blessed to have had her in our family for 15 years.”
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 10:21:31 +0000
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