Aaron Douglas Villines, 42, of Kingston, Arkansas, died on a Thursday in early December 2015 during a deer hunt near Elkhorn Church in western Newton County. Villines, born October 14, 1973, and a 1992 graduate of Springdale High School, was carrying a loaded rifle while walking with a hunting companion to check on a deer that had been shot.

According to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, Villines slipped on a moss-covered rock; the fall caused the rifle to discharge and he was struck in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the shooting was ruled accidental; no arrests were made or suspects sought.Villines was described by family and friends as an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing but treasured time with his loved ones above all else.

Did anyone in the area know Aaron or have details about that hunting spot that might add context to what happened?