By Tammy Curtis, Managing Editor
A suspect who was being sought by police for the murder of a Greene County man, killed himself April 25, following a high speed pursuit and crash in Paragould. Rodney Trammel, Jr., 57 shot himself after the wreck as police attempted to apprehend him on outstanding felony warrants out of Greene county. Trammell, Jr. was wanted for questioning in the death of a man whose body was found in a truck submerged in the Spring River on April 19.
The body of Larry Galloway, 45, was identified as the victim of the crime after his body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. The Ford Sport Track was submerged under approximately three feet of water at the Cold Springs Access after locals located the vehicle as they were testing sonar equipment for fishing.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and Mammoth Spring Police Department were called to the scene. A local diver helped recover the body from the bed of the truck.Fulton County Chief Deputy Jake Smith said the body was recovered under “suspicious circumstances”. [being in the bed of the truck] Divers with the Missouri Highway Patrol Water Patrol Division later did a grid search of the crime scene area in an attempt to locate additional evidence. After identifying Galloway, the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory determined the cause of death, to be the result of a gunshot wound. The vehicle, which was registered to Galloway’s wife, was taken to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to be processed as part of the active investigation.
Smith said, there were no signs of visible injury to Galloway’s body at the time of its recovery from the river. The chief deputy explained information from the investigation led police to believe Galloway was killed in Greene County and transported to Fulton County before the truck containing his body was pushed into the river. Arkansas State Police Company F Special Investigator Ramey Lovan assisted Fulton County with the case. During the investigation, it was discovered that another suspect, or suspects, in the case may have ties to Fulton County. Smith said the ongoing investigation is currently being conducted by the Arkansas State Police and Greene County Sheriff’s Department since it is believed the murder occurred in Greene county. Police are also investigating the possibility an accomplice may have aided the killer in placing the body in the vehicle, the vehicle in the river, as well as transporting a suspect or suspects from the scene back to Greene County.
Soon after the investigation was instigated, police began speaking with people who were familiar with Galloway. From those interviews, information gained was passed along to Lovan. This led to Trammell, Jr. being developed as a suspect in the murder.
While Trammel Jr. was a suspect in the case, he had not been interviewed at the time of the pursuit. Smith also explained the crime laboratory could not tell with any certainty how long Galloway’s body had been in the river.
Lovan said police, including the Greene County Sheriff’s deputies, attempted a traffic stop on Trammell Jr. on April 25 for warrants, at the time he fled from police. The pursuit ended with Trammell Jr. crashing his Jeep into a power pole before taking his life with a gun. Smith said there may be an additional arrest or arrests for felony Abuse of a Corpse in the case.
Smith said, “The scene in Fulton County was thoroughly investigated. The dive team even did a grid search of the area.” He explained the Arkansas State Police offered their help with the recovery, but at the time of the incident, were extremely busy with the Stone County double, double homicide case that occurred last week. He said, “The Missouri State Highway Patrol Water Patrol Division really went out of their way and the sheriff’s department really appreciates their help.”
Smith said the investigation into Galloway’s death is still ongoing.
Tammy Curtis