This photo provided by the Hot Springs Police Department shows Nicholas Lewondowski, of Hot Springs, Ark., who is being held Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, on suspicion of three counts of capital murder after the bodies of three people were found in an area home. Police Cpl. Kirk Zaner says officers conducting a welfare check found the three bodies Tuesday afternoon. (Hot Springs Police Department via AP)
Republished December 06, 2017 - 7:41 PM
Original Publication Date December 06, 2017 - 4:06 PM
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Arkansas police said Wednesday an argument over stolen property agitated a Hot Springs man to the point that he killed three friends before asking another to help him dispose of the bodies.
An affidavit said Nicholas Lewondowski, 34, had gone to James Coble's house with three friends Monday night. While there, the four guests argued about someone in the group stealing property from someone else in the group, the document said.
"Lewondowski got agitated with all three of his friends" and they left to go to the home of someone believed to be one of the victims, detective Mark Fallis wrote. "When Lewondowski returned to Coble's residence the next day ..., he told Coble that he had killed the three people."
Coble said he helped Lewondowski move vehicles from near the crime scene and that the suspect nailed a door shut.
"Lewondowski then told Coble that he would probably need help disposing of the bodies, later, and would contact Coble in the next day to do so," Fallis wrote. "Lewondowski stated that they would probably just burn the residence down."
Coble called police, who found the home's back door open. They found three bodies in pools of blood. The names of the victims were not released pending notification of relatives.
Lewondowski was being held without bond on three capital murder complaints. Jail records did not list a lawyer for him.
The deaths were the first of two triple homicides reported in Arkansas in a 24-hour period Monday and Tuesday. Three members of a family were found dead at a Little Rock apartment Tuesday afternoon.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017