CHANCE MCCURLEY

A Pineville man is in the Izard County Detention Facility on $25,000 cash bond after being charged September 16 with aggravated assault on a family member, endangering the welfare of a minor, and terroristic threatening first degree. All three charges are class “d” felonies.

The wife of Chance Lee McCurley reported that her husband made her and their child get into a vehicle with him. It is further alleged that McCurley, while driving around Melbourne with the pair, choked his wife, pulled her hair, and placed a 45 caliber pistol to her head. McCurley is also accused of threatening to kill his wife after he forced her to watch as he killed their two children. It is also alleged that McCurley threatened to kill his wife’s father and stepmother. After having been persuaded to allow  the mother to return the child home, McCurley allegedly told the mother, when she was taking the child into the home of her father,  she had thirty seconds to return from the house or he would be coming in after her. This is when she called the sheriff’s office.

Loaded weapons were found in the vehicle driven by McCurley and three such weapons, an AR 22, an AK 47 and a 45 caliber pistol were seized.

In a separate matter, McCurley is being investigated for the arson fire on the residence that he and his family occupied. Sheriff Lawrence said that about three weeks ago the first fire at their residence was started underneath the structure of house. It is thought that the insulation under the house was soaked with a flammable liquid and then ignited. It appeared that the pieces of the burning insulation fell on a plastic water pipe underneath the house causing the pipe burn and spray water that extinguished the blaze. The fire was near the children’s bedroom.

Lawrence said that few days the later, the house was again set fire causing even more damage to the now unoccupied structure as the house had been vacated after the first fire. The investigation into the fires determined that McCurley had made previous threats to burn the house with his wife and children in it. This investigation is aggressively continuing with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. According to Lawrence, McCurley, age 25 of Pineville is definitely a person of extreme interest.

At the time of his arrest, McCurley tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine.

News Release, For Immediate Release, September 18, 2015, POC: Sheriff Tate Lawrence, 8703684203

Note: Picture of McCurley provided

McCurley gave an address of 3521 Arkansas Highway 177, Pineville, Arkansas.