Searcy, Ark. (April 12, 2025) — After nearly six years, Searcy Police have made significant progress in a 2019 murder case, arresting two local men in connection with the death of Thomas Hunt. Justice Cunningham, 27, and Andre Smith, 26, both of Searcy, were charged with capital murder on April 10, 2025, following a lengthy investigation into the fatal shooting.
The incident occurred on November 23, 2019, when officers responded to reports of a shooting near Market and Moss Streets in Searcy. Upon arrival, they found 41-year-old Thomas Hunt suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Hunt was still conscious and was rushed to Unity Health Emergency Room, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
According to Lieutenant Todd Wells of the Searcy Police Department, the investigation remained active for over five years before culminating in the recent arrests. The breakthrough came when the Searcy Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, working alongside the 17th Judicial Drug Task Force, developed probable cause to arrest Cunningham and Smith.
Both suspects were already in custody at White County jail on unrelated charges at the time of their arrest for Hunt’s murder. Cunningham had been detained since October 17, 2024, for witness bribery and possession of a firearm by certain persons, and was also being held for the U.S. Marshals Service. Smith, meanwhile, had been sentenced on October 9, 2024, to three years in prison for possession of a defaced firearm and possession of a firearm by certain persons, following his arrest in December 2023. He is currently on an Arkansas Department of Corrections waiting list.
Court records and prior investigations reveal a troubling history for both men. In 2021, Cunningham and Smith, also known as “Smoke,” were implicated in “Operation Central Sweep,” a joint task force effort targeting the Gangster Disciples, a drug distribution organization operating in Searcy and White County. The operation led to the arrest of 17 individuals on drug and firearm charges, with authorities seizing 105 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.3 pounds of cocaine, and 44 firearms. During a 2021 hearing related to his federal firearms charge, Smith admitted to being in the car with Cunningham and Hunt on the night of the murder. He claimed the trio had met to buy marijuana, but a fight broke out when Hunt said he didn’t have any. Smith alleged that Cunningham fired shots during the altercation, though he claimed to have closed his eyes and was unsure if Hunt was hit. Searcy police officer Johnny Sowell testified to this account, confirming Smith’s involvement.
Cunningham’s criminal history dates back further. In 2017, at age 19, he was arrested and charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Davion Bankhead, 24, in Searcy. That incident occurred on August 11, 2017, in the 800 block of West Park Street. Smith also has a history of legal troubles, including a drug arrest in September 2020 and a high-speed chase through Searcy neighborhoods in November 2020, where he reached speeds of 89 mph before crashing into a backyard near a middle school.
The arrests of Cunningham and Smith highlight ongoing challenges with violent crime in Searcy. The city has seen several high-profile cases in recent years, including the 2020 murder of paramedic Madison Clevenger, for which Hunter D. Bishop was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in 2022, and the 2020 killing of Van Stevens, for which Christopher Coy Gamble was charged with capital murder. Additionally, White County Sheriff’s cold case files list unsolved murders, such as the 1994 killing of Marlin Dwayne Bradley in Searcy, underscoring a persistent issue with unresolved violent crimes in the area.
Lieutenant Wells emphasized that the investigation into Hunt’s death remains ongoing, with authorities continuing to gather evidence. No trial dates have been set for Cunningham and Smith, who remain in custody at White County jail. The arrests bring a measure of closure to a case that has haunted the Searcy community for over half a decade, but questions linger about the full circumstances surrounding Hunt’s death and the broader impact of gang activity in the region.
