Suspect detained : Man in custody after police find body in apartment complex
Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008
What began as a welfare check Sunday morning led to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol arresting a Fayetteville man suspected of killing a University of Arkansas student.
Zachariah Marcyniuk, 28, faces a charge of first-degree murder for the death of Katherine Wood, 24.
Fayetteville police were called to the Colonial Arms Apartments, 1211 N. Leverett Ave., at 7: 21 a. m. Sunday after someone expressed concern about a woman’s welfare at the complex. The caller reported that the woman seemed to be involved in a disturbance with someone outside.
Officers found a purse outside the complex and used information to track it to Apt. 11. They received no response at the door, so they entered the unit where they discovered Wood’s body.
Police Sgt. Shannon Gabbard said investigators began seeking Marcyniuk for questioning about a halfhour after reaching the scene based on his past history and his relationship with Wood. The suspect was at least an acquaintance and possibly was a past or current boyfriend, Gabbard said.
Marcyniuk’s criminal history in Fayetteville includes charges in 2005 of firstdegree false imprisonment, aggravated assault, violation of a protection order, burglary, theft of property and first-degree criminal mischief, Gabbard said.
The Police Department advised other agencies to be on the lookout for Marcyniuk driving a tan Honda Element. By afternoon police obtained a warrant for his arrest.
An Oklahoma trooper with Troop H stopped an Element for speeding at about 5 p. m. along Interstate 40. The trooper learned of the warrant for its driver, Marcyniuk, when he ran the vehicle registration, and Marcyniuk was taken into custody without incident. He was 31 miles from the Texas line.
He was being held Sunday night in the Beckham County Jail in Sayre, Okla.
Police didn’t say Sunday night how Wood died. The body will be sent to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death, Gabbard said.
“ The state examiner is going to have to help with the cause, ” he said. “ We don’t want to speculate too much until we’ve been able to interview (Marcyniuk ). ”
He was unsure how soon police could extradite the suspect from Oklahoma.
Wood was a senior English major from Greenbrier.
UA officials urge concerned university students to contact the Office of Student Affairs at (800 ) 639-5008. Counseling is available to students at the Pat Walker Health Center. The UA Campus Advisory Team will meet today to determine what other support can be provided.
“ The loss of any student is a loss for the entire campus, ” Chancellor John White said in a press release. “ But a death under these circumstances is such a tragic waste. We grieve with her family and friends. ”
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