The Miller County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday the arrest of Michael Letterman for Murder in the First Degree in connection with the 1991 killing of his wife, Billie Jean Letterman.
According to Sheriff Wayne Easley, the arrest marks a breakthrough in one of the county’s oldest unsolved homicide cases — a case that had long gone cold despite an extensive initial investigation.
Deputies were first called to the Letterman residence on August 12, 1991, after reports of a possible gunshot victim at the intersection of Highway 82 and County Road 78. When deputies arrived, they found Billie Jean Letterman dead from an apparent gunshot wound to the head inside her home’s living room.
Although investigators at the time conducted numerous interviews and compiled a detailed case file, the case stalled while they awaited forensic evidence processing at the Arkansas State Crime Lab.
That changed in July 2023, when a key piece of evidence was returned to the Miller County Sheriff’s Office. Current investigators re-examined the case, conducted new interviews, and ultimately uncovered new evidence that led to a major development this year.
On October 15, 2025, after presenting the findings to Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell and Circuit Judge Carlton Jones, an arrest warrant was issued for Michael Letterman.
Letterman voluntarily came to the Sheriff’s Office, where he was interviewed by Sheriff Easley and Detective Poole. Following the interview, he was arrested and booked into the Miller County Jail on a charge of Murder in the First Degree.
Sheriff Easley, who has emphasized solving cold cases since taking office, credited his team’s persistence and the renewed focus on justice for finally bringing closure to the decades-old case.
“There are times when cases grow cold and justice that was expected does not get served,” Easley said. “But this office remains committed to serving the citizens of Miller County and seeking justice for those who commit crimes in our community.”
