Arrest made in Waldo, AR post office killing

One arrest has been made and another person is being questioned in connection with the murder of a local woman inside a Columbia County post office.

William Blackmon, 31, is charged with homicide, and a woman who police believe was with Blackmon at the time is being questioned by police.

The victim is 72-year-old Betty Cooper, who cleans the Waldo post office regularly. On Friday morning, postal employee noticed she wasn't there, and then discovered a large trail of blood inside the post office, leading outside to the spot where her van is usually parked.

Her body was found in that van two hours later, parked and burning off of County Road 61 in Waldo, just a few miles away.

Blackmon was picked up nearby, along with a woman identified by family members as Margie Williams. Those family members confirm that Williams is being questioned. They say Williams was with Blackmon, but jumped out of the van somewhere between the post office and the location where it was found burning.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas State Police are investigating, along with the FBI and inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service.

Right now authorities believe the post office's cleaning woman was killed, her body put in her van and driven to the second location, where the suspect apparently set it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.  The van has been taken to Magnolia, Arkansas for processing.

Police have confirmed that Blackmon and the victim knew each other, but they aren't saying exactly what their relationship may have been.

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