Rebecca O' Donnell is 48 years old pleads guilty to murdering former senator Linda Collins. Linda's body was found outside her home in Pocahontas on June 4, 2019, and she has died of stab wounds.
This past year, Rebecca was arrested on suspicion of murdering former Arkansas State Senator Linda Collins, who has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse on Thursday, i.e August 6th. Collins' son was allegedly the person who discovered Collins' body covered in maggots, under a tarp, wrapped in an old comforter.
O'Donnell told the judge"I went to Linda's home and I intentionally killed her and then hid the body," Rebecca who worked on Collins, was arrested 10 days after. She was sentenced to 40 years for first-degree murder and 3 years for abuse of a corpse at Randolph County.
According to the report, Rebecca was stealing money from the senator and when she was confronted she"snapped"
Furthermore, on Thursday, O'Donnell also pleaded"No Contest" to 2 counts of solicitation to commit capital murder in Jackson County. She had been accused of attempting to hire fellow inmates to kill Collins' ex-husband and frame it as a suicide, according to an affidavit.
Prosecutors for the state said on Thursday they have video proof from within the Jackson County prison of O'Donnell passing a note to an inmate along with the notice reportedly contained instructions on what the suicide note should say. The FBI confirmed that it was O'Donnell's handwriting.
O'Donnell will serve a total of 50 years in prison and she is going to qualify for parole. O'Donnell's fiancé Tim Loggains -- that formerly defended her, stating that she and Collins were like sisters also issued a statement.
"Originally, for various reasons, I believed with all my heart that Becky was naive," Loggains said, per ABC News. "No one wishes to think anyone near them is capable of doing something heinous." Later, he added.
"My heart at that time wouldn't permit me think what I afterwards learned to be authentic -- which Becky murdered Linda," he continued. "That realization was one of the hardest of my life. To take that I lived with someone so deviant, someone who could not just have a lifetime but the life of someone who assisted her in so many ways, with no sign of the shadow within her heart, was heartbreaking."
The announcement from Collins' household"We, the family, would like to thank the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and the Arkansas State Police for their continued vigilance and swift response in managing this latest episode. We have complete faith that the investigators acted on solid evidence supporting these fees and not just on a whim. We appreciate the transparency shown with agencies involved in this issue."
"These new charges further afield in our minds that the authorities have arrested the ideal individual. Rebecca O'Donnell's threats are being treated very seriously but haven't deterred our beliefs in that which we're dedicated to, justice for Linda. Thank you all for your continuing support, prayers, and wishes."
Linda Collins-Smith
Collins-Smith was married to Philip Smith, a circuit court judge who had been disgraced following a 2017 scandal.
Afterwards, she filed for divorce that November, and they had two children and three grandchildren.
Career
She moved to Pocahontas School District No 19 High School and lives in Pocahontas, Arkansas, and can be from Pocahontas, Arkansas.
On her Twitter site, Collins-Smith described herself as a"Christian Conservative; Pro-Life, Business, Family, Guns, Veterans, Better Education & Patriot. Love God, Family, and Country!"
Furthermore, she was pro-gun, a lifetime member of the NRA, and also a founding member of the Friends of the NRA in a local community.
She's a married woman and Facebook, Rebecca O'Donnell made it crystal clear that she's both a mom and grandma. "...all 3 occasions were a massive charm for me:-RRB- I really like my grands," she composed with a single photo. O'Donnell's fiancé title is Tim Loggains.