Bryant, MO: Nurse Killed in Saline County Believed to be Murder-Suicide

Bryant -
Another domestic-related tragedy unfolds in Central Arkansas Monday morning. Saline County authorities launched an investigation into the death of a man and woman in what appears to be a murder-suicide. The shocking incident took place outside Saline Memorial Hospice on Reynolds Road in Bryant, where the female victim, Jenny Marie Cavender, 39, was killed.

Cavender's body was found inside her blue Cadillac CTS in the parking lot after a witness called police to report the incident around 8:15 a.m. Monday morning.

"She was actually an employee here and I'm assuming it appears he came to her work to confront her, "explained Sergeant Todd Crowson, public information officer for Bryant Police Department. ‘He' is the alleged shooter, Ronnie Odell Stewart, Jr., 38, of Maumelle. Cavender and Stewart apparently had previously been involved in a turbulent relationship.

"We did determine that she had an order of protection against him, so what he was doing here [was] obviously for the wrong reasons," said Crowson. The order of protection was taken out in Lonoke County, December 13, 2011, where Cavender lived at the time, and on the same day that Stewart reportedly posted a $50,000 bond for charges that included rape, terroristic threatening and kidnapping according to Lt. Jim Kulesa with the Lonoke County Sheriff's Department. Kulesa said Stewart had been arrested three days earlier on December 9.

Crowson said Stewart turned the weapon believed involved in Cavender's shooting on himself. Stewart's body was found on the ground on the passenger's side of Cavender's vehicle; a 40 caliber gun found nearby.

"The officers said they were here in within a minute and obviously when they got here it was too late, it was already over with," said Crowson.

A white Pontiac Grand Prix was seen being towed from the scene of the shooting for additional processing and is said to have belonged to Stewart. "The police department is not looking for anyone else at this time,"Crowson said. Cavender's vehicle was covered and also removed from the parking lot.

Cavender had recently moved to Bryant to be closer to work at Saline Memorial Hospice where she was reportedly a nurse. Crowson says they are still piecing together exactly what happened. Through their investigation, they hope to learn more about the events and circumstances leading up to Cavender's death.