Markee Avery, 36, was shot and killed outside a residence at 1212 South Spruce Street in Pine Bluff on the afternoon of Friday, July 18, 2025. Officers arrived about 3:21 p.m. and found him lying in the yard with an apparent gunshot wound; Jefferson County Coroner Chad Kelley pronounced him dead at the scene.

Within days detectives identified two suspects. On July 22, 2025, 37-year-old Michael King Jr. turned himself in and was booked on a capital murder charge; he had previously been described as armed and dangerous. On July 24, 2025, King’s brother, 39-year-old Lamarcus Benton, surrendered and was also held on a capital murder charge. Local reports say both men were developed as suspects after Avery was found with gunshot wounds; authorities continued to investigate the circumstances of the shooting. Early coverage noted that another person was injured during the same weekend of violence.

Did anyone in Pine Bluff see or hear anything around South Spruce Street on the afternoon of July 18 that could help clarify what happened?