Ryan K. Kennedy, 43, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, was last seen on January 7, 2022, near Farr Shores Bay and was reported missing. Family and friends mounted a search when he did not return. On March 7, 2022, at about 3:45 p.m., officers responded to human remains found in an open field along Carpenter Dam Road; those remains were identified as Ryan Kennedy. An autopsy by the Arkansas State Crime Lab concluded his death was a homicide.

Authorities identified 18-year-old Damonte Walters of Henderson, Texas, as a suspect and charged him with first-degree murder; he was held at the Garland County Detention Center pending further proceedings. Kennedy’s family remembered him for enjoying outdoor activities, days on the lake, and music — he had recently returned to Hot Springs to help care for his parents and worked at a local Walmart. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hot Springs Police Department.