The family of the late Christopher Alvard will mark a grim anniversary in February 2023, but they’ll have to wait at least a little longer for the men accused of his murder to be tried in court.
Carroll County Judge Scott Jackson on Monday set trial dates of Feb. 21-24 for Jason Hartley Helm, Joshua Anderson and Charles Ky Hanna, the three men who are charged with killing Alvard and his dog in February 2018.
The defendants each are charged with first-degree murder and cruelty to animals. They are being tried separately, but Jackson scheduled the same trial dates for all three pending a decision on which one will be tried first.
Helm had been scheduled to face trial in late August. But on the morning of Aug. 24, with jury selection complete and opening statements set to begin, Jackson granted a motion by special prosecutor Jack McQuary to continue the case.
McQuary told Jackson that prosecutors had received new information earlier that morning that he described as “crucial” to the state’s case.
Helm’s defense attorney, Ben Catterlin, objected to the continuance, but Jackson granted McQuary’s motion.
McQuary did not elaborate on the new information and declined to comment later.
Jackson set Monday’s hearing date in Eureka Springs to schedule new trial dates for all three defendants. Hanna’s trial had been scheduled to begin Oct. 25, while Anderson had been set to face trial beginning Nov. 15.
Instead, another pretrial hearing is scheduled for Nov. 15.
CCSO deputies who had been dispatched to check on an open door on Feb. 8, 2018, found Alvard’s body inside his home at 674 Carroll County Road 116 near Eureka Springs. The body of Alvard’s dog also was found at the scene. An autopsy later determined that Alvard died as the result of multiple stab wounds. His dog also appeared to have been stabbed multiple times.
The sheriff’s office requested assistance from the Arkansas State Police at and special agents from the ASP’s Criminal Investigation Team were assigned to the case.
Anderson, Hanna and Helm were arrested on Feb. 8, 2021 — the three-year anniversary of the discovery ofAlvard’s body.
According to a probable-cause affidavit written by special agent Dale Bailey of the Arkansas State Police, the names of Anderson, Hanna and Helm “kept coming up as being involved” during the investigation into Alvard’s death.
“Based upon the three names, attempts were made to interview all three,” the affidavit says. “One of the three informed investigators that all three were involved in the death of Christopher Alvard. He stated that they initially went to the Alvard residence to ‘rough up’ Alvard. He stated Alvard fought back to the point where at least two of the potential defendants used deadly physical forced armed with knives.”
Other witnesses overheard or witnessed Anderson, Hanna and Helm discussing their involvement or saw evidence corroborating their involvement in Alvard’s death, the affidavit says.
All three men have pleaded not guilty. Jackson granted prosecuting attorney Tony Rogers’motions to recuse himself from each case because Rogers has represented each defendant in the past. McQuary was appointed in each case.
