Forrest City, AR: Civic Leader Charged in Murder of His Wife

Updated: Thursday, 22 Oct 2009, 5:29 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 22 Oct 2009, 5:29 PM CDT

Les Smith
FORREST CITY, Ark. - If religious faith, love of family and civic involvement have been the cornerstones of your life...you might begin to imagine the anger and agony Willie Whitley must have felt when he seemingly lost everything in the space of a few days. Suffering one traumatizing setback through unkind fate to be followed by the horrible realization of an even greater loss possibly committed by his own hand.

Robert Camper, a neighbor, remembers Whitley's unusual request, "He ask me...said, I want you to do me a favor. I said what is that? He said go call the police. I just killed my wife. He said it so calm. I told him he was lying..and he told me, nah, I killed. I killed her."

The 74-year old Whitley is being held in the St. Francis County Jail without bond after being arraigned on a first degree murder charge in the death of his wife, 65-year old Antoinette Whitley. It was Whitley who led Camper to the Wednesday discovery of her body at a duplex they were sharing with Whitley's sister-in-law.

Camper's account continues, "I walked to the door. Opened the door up. I could see her on the couch. I called three times and she didn't respond. I looked down and seen blood then I went and called the police."

The murder of his wife came just days after a fire completely gutted the home the couple had shared for more than fifteen years. That fire apparently started in the carport. The murder of Antoinette and the arrest of Whitley, a long-time member of the Forrest City Planning Commission, shocked those who knew the pair as a devoted and beloved couple.

Lawrence Watson, a friend of the family, reflected, "They were a model...good church members. Well thought of in the community. I'd seen them earlier that morning and they were acting like there was nothing wrong."

Camper adds, "People tell me they were downtown this morning...shopping...and they seemed to be happy. So, I really can't say why."

Watson speculated, 'I've heard he had Alzheimer's real bad. Just lost his house and everything. I imagine he was under a lot of stress. Probably just went off into left field."

St. Francis County prosecutors were told by relatives that the medication Whitley was taking for an undisclosed illness had recently been changed.