Hikers stumble upon body in ‘rugged’ stretch of national forest, Arkansas officials say

A pair of hikers stumbled across a dead body in the western Arkansas woods, spurring a homicide investigation, officials say.

The body “was located in a very rugged and steep area” below a 40-foot bluff at Ouachita National Forest, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 5 news release. A specialized rescue team from a local fire department was brought in to retrieve it.

“I want to thank Conway Fire Department for their help in this case,” Sheriff Ricky Don Jones said in a statement. “There was no way possible my people could’ve done what we needed done safely.”

The remains, later identified as 36-year-old Christopher Scott Pointer, were handed over to the county coroner’s office and state crime lab for further analysis, the sheriff’s office said.

Pointer’s death is being investigated as a homicide, the release said.

Pointer lived in Sherwood, a suburb of Little Rock roughly 46 miles east of Ouachita National Forest.

The 1.8 million acre forest stretches into Oklahoma and “is home to rolling hills, pristine lakes, geological wonders,” according to the U.S. Forest Service.

This story was originally published February 6, 2023 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Hikers stumble upon body in ‘rugged’ stretch of national forest, Arkansas officials say."