Woman arrested at the death of the Arkansas legislator

FSenator Linda Collins-Smith was found fatally shot in her home this month. One of his friends and former colleagues has already been arrested for his death.

Police in Arkansas identified the suspect as Rebecca Lynn O Donnell of Pocahontas, Arkansas, aged 48. She stated that criminal charges were pending. Few other details were disclosed and a judge obtained a court order to seal documents in the case. A police spokesman declined to tell O'Donnell where O'Donnell was.

Ken Yang, a former Collins-Smith press secretary, said she and O'Donnell were friends and that she had already worked on his campaign.

Collins-Smith, 57, served as a Democrat during a term in the House of States before changing party in 2011. She was elected to the state Senate in 2014 as a Republican. She lost her reelection at the GOP primary last year.

After O'Donnell's arrest, the Collins-Smith family issued a statement thanking the police and expressing surprise at the news.

"We are disgusted and upset that someone so close to Linda is involved in such a terrible and heartless crime," the statement said. "We would like to thank everyone for the prayers and thoughts we have for our family during this difficult time."