30-Year Sentence Handed Down in Arkansas Corpse Abuse Case

A Little River County jury has found Chance Cathey, 35, of Idabel, Oklahoma, guilty of Abuse of a Corpse following a lengthy investigation that began early last year. Cathey was sentenced to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections this week on Tuesday, October 28.

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Investigation Began in Early 2024

The case began on January 2, 2024, when the Little River County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to assist with a disturbing discovery. Deputies had received a report of a body found in a well along County Road 106, near the Oklahoma border in west Little River County.

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Victim Identified and Arrest Made in Little River County, Arkansas

Working together, state and local investigators excavated the site and recovered the remains of Bobby Graham, also known as Bobby Conley, age 57, of Tom, Oklahoma. Authorities believe Graham had been deceased and left in the well for up to two weeks before being located.

An arrest warrant for Cathey was issued in December 2024, and he was taken into custody in Idabel on January 17, 2024. Following his conviction, Cathey will now serve a three-decade sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.