Neighbor arrested in murder of abused Arkansas girl
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) - A neighbor has been arrested as a suspect in the killing of a 6-year-old Arkansas girl whose high-profile child abuse case last year sent her father and stepmother to prison, police said.
Jersey Bridgeman was reported missing the morning of Nov. 20. Minutes after a search for her began, Jersey's body was discovered in an abandoned house two doors from her home in Bentonville.
Zachary Holly, 28, who lives next door to where Jersey was staying, is being held in the Benton County Jail on charges of capital murder, kidnapping and residential burglary, police Chief Jon Simpson said Monday night.
Simpson said Holly will have a bail and probable cause hearing Wednesday, during which a probable cause affidavit will be released. At that point, "many questions related to this investigation and arrest will be answered," Simpson said.
He did not release details of how Jersey died or what led police to Holly. Simpson said work by the State Crime Lab helped speed the arrest.
Jersey's short life was checkered with discomfort. About a year before her death, her father and stepmother were charged with abuse after investigators discovered they had chained her to a dresser to stop her wandering around the house at night. David Bridgeman, Jersey's father, told investigators he restrained his daughter to prevent her from getting into medication and other things around the house.
David and Jana Bridgeman, Jersey's stepmother, pleaded guilty in June to false imprisonment, permitting abuse of a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Jana Bridgeman is serving a 12-year prison sentence, plus three years for a probation revocation. David Bridgeman is serving an 18-year prison sentence.
Police Capt. Justin Thompson said there was "no reason ... for the community to be worried at this point," but otherwise revealed little more about the homicide investigation in Bentonville some 215 miles northwest of Little Rock.
Thompson said the girl died sometime between midnight and 6:53 a.m. on the day her body was found. He would not say who called 911 to report her missing. Investigators later searched the home where she lived and the house where her body was found, as well as the homes in between.
A funeral for Jersey is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Rogers Funeral Home in Rogers.
Jersey Bridgeman was reported missing the morning of Nov. 20. Minutes after a search for her began, Jersey's body was discovered in an abandoned house two doors from her home in Bentonville.
Zachary Holly, 28, who lives next door to where Jersey was staying, is being held in the Benton County Jail on charges of capital murder, kidnapping and residential burglary, police Chief Jon Simpson said Monday night.
Simpson said Holly will have a bail and probable cause hearing Wednesday, during which a probable cause affidavit will be released. At that point, "many questions related to this investigation and arrest will be answered," Simpson said.
He did not release details of how Jersey died or what led police to Holly. Simpson said work by the State Crime Lab helped speed the arrest.
Jersey's short life was checkered with discomfort. About a year before her death, her father and stepmother were charged with abuse after investigators discovered they had chained her to a dresser to stop her wandering around the house at night. David Bridgeman, Jersey's father, told investigators he restrained his daughter to prevent her from getting into medication and other things around the house.
David and Jana Bridgeman, Jersey's stepmother, pleaded guilty in June to false imprisonment, permitting abuse of a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Jana Bridgeman is serving a 12-year prison sentence, plus three years for a probation revocation. David Bridgeman is serving an 18-year prison sentence.
Police Capt. Justin Thompson said there was "no reason ... for the community to be worried at this point," but otherwise revealed little more about the homicide investigation in Bentonville some 215 miles northwest of Little Rock.
Thompson said the girl died sometime between midnight and 6:53 a.m. on the day her body was found. He would not say who called 911 to report her missing. Investigators later searched the home where she lived and the house where her body was found, as well as the homes in between.
A funeral for Jersey is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Rogers Funeral Home in Rogers.
Did this child have no one who cared enough to protect her? She was murdered between midnight and six am. No one checked on her during the night? Damn! I really hate the human race, sometimes.
Rest in peace dear child
What a beautiful little girl...RIP sweetie, breaks my heart.
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I'm curious about the mom and dad, 12 and 18 yrs in prison? murderers get less.
No punishment will be enough to those who inflicted so much pain on this little girl and ultimately took her life. It is unfathomable to comprehend how these unspeakable acts are possible, yet they happen daily. These crimes against nature are truly heart wrenching, senseless and pure evil. I wish there was a way for this poor soul to know many good people truly mourn for her.
What a beautiful, sweet and innocent child. How can people do this? Seeing her, I just want to grab her and tell her it'll be ok. God...so sad.
Someone should have been protecting her. I don't care if the perp was super sneaky breaking into this foster home or grandparents home or whatever, someone failed. There are men who maybe don't think about it, there are the evil ones and there are those who would lay down their lives without hesitation for the women and girls they know. Feminism aside, every man, and boy, should ask himself what type of man he is.
Death for this little girl was the only way to stop her pain. Society let her down in so many ways.
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I hate looking at her picture. It makes me want to hold her and protect her but it's too late for that.
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There are too many kids out there that are being abused in one way or another. I wish I was king for a year. I would take away every kid from unfit parents, require those parents to be sterilized, and get those kids into a loving home with parents who care.
 @RalphCramden Maybe she was doing just fine until the psycho next door decided to kill her. Then again, abuse stays in your head for life. Even with that life is better than death.
 @James GnauÂ
I was physically and mentally abused as a kid. Today that abuse still haunts me. Sometimes I wish I were dead because of the mental torment I still have to deal with.
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My dad would beat me on a regular basis and in the 50's no one did anything. Then he told me I was worthless and would never amount to anything. Being a kid I believed him. I mean, he was my father and was a lot smarter than I was and knew all about life. How could I doubt him.
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So to prove him wrong I got 2 degrees to beat his one degree, had several of my own businesses and made a lot of money before I was 40. I was driven to prove him wrong every chance I had.
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Now he is dead and I will graduate next year with my masters and will get another bachelors if I get another dozen credits. I have no idea why I am pushing this hard since he is dead but he is till in my head and telling me I am worthless and won't amount to anything. My wife keeps telling me that I can stop now cause I am not only worth something but I have surpassed what normal people do by a factor of 10.
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I am still tormented. It will never go away till I die and then I will be free.
@RalphCramden @James Gnau you will find peace. in the meantime, my thoughts and prarers are with her and you.
 @James Gnau  @RalphCramden Except now she is in Heaven and no one will ever hurt her again, and those here on Earth who did hurt her will get a far harsher sentence someday.Â
 @BarbWire  @RalphCramden I don't think that's what's on her mind... she's dead.