VAN BUREN -- Charges were pending Friday against a woman who was arrested late Wednesday in the shooting death of a Fort Smith man whose body was found in a rural Crawford County cemetery.

Jessica Ann Howard, 24, was being held in the Crawford County jail Friday in lieu of $500,000 bond on a preliminary charge of capital murder in the death of Gabriel Quispe, 49.

Formal charges were not filed Friday against Howard. She had an initial appearance before Circuit Judge Gary Cottrell, who determined that there was probable cause to hold Howard and appointed the public defender to represent her.

"Based on the investigation, what we believe happened is that Jessica contacted Gabriel and asked for a ride to the Dripping Springs area, where she has family that lives there, with the intent to lure him to the cemetery and shoot him and kill him and rob him," Crawford County Sheriff Ron Brown said at a news conference Thursday.

Dripping Springs is an unincorporated community west of Arkansas 59 between Van Buren and Cedarville.

Brown said investigators also believe that Howard directed Quispe to the cemetery so she could talk to Quispe about his custody of the 3-year-old girl they had together. Washington County Circuit Court records identified the girl as Avery Makenna Howard. Her last name was changed to Quispe after Quispe obtained permanent custody of her.

The sheriff's office was contacted about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday by people who reported seeing a body on the road in the cemetery. The responding deputy identified the body as Quispe, Brown said.

Howard, who deputies were told may have been the last person seen with Quispe, was first thought to be a robbery victim, according to reports. But when deputies -- with the help of the Fort Smith Police Department and the Arkansas State Police -- made contact with Howard about 3 p.m. Wednesday, she was in Quispe's vehicle, reports said.

Brown said Howard became a person of interest in the slaying after deputies began talking to her. He said Howard confessed to killing Quispe, provided details that were consistent with the crime scene and was arrested.

Howard used a semiautomatic handgun to shoot Quispe, Brown said. He said the gun has been recovered.

Quispe's body was sent to the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock for autopsy.

Brown said Quispe, who was Peruvian, had gained custody of his daughter from her grandparents. Washington County Circuit Court records show that Quispe was granted permanent custody of the child on Jan. 19, 2018.

The petition Quispe filed for custody on Jan. 31, 2017, said he and Howard had sex in 2014 and he didn't know of Howard's pregnancy or the child's March 10, 2015, birth until Aug. 17, 2016, when Howard informed him through Internet communication. Howard did not respond to Quispe's custody petition, according to court records.

Howard initially lost custody of the child to her parents, Alice and Gregory Carr of Springdale, who were granted permanent guardianship Aug. 25, 2016, according to Washington County Circuit Court records. Alice Carr said in their petition that Howard was not fit to keep the child because Howard was violent, suicidal and threatened to kill herself and the child by driving off a bridge.

Howard never responded to her parents' petition for guardianship over the child, court records showed.

The Carrs did not object to Quispe taking custody of his daughter and were granted "liberal, reasonable" visitation, the Quispe custody court order said. The order did not include visitation for Howard.

Brown said the child is back with the Carrs.

Brown said investigators learned that the Carrs gave their blessings to Quispe's desire for custody of the child. He said the Carrs thought Quispe was a "good guy" who they could trust. Quispe's custody petition said, at that time, that he had held a job with the same employer for eight years, and maintained a safe and wholesome home.

Brown said investigators learned that Howard had a drug addiction and that her family and Quispe had attempted a drug intervention a couple of weeks ago. Howard walked out of the meeting, Brown said.

State Desk on 02/02/2019