Kenneth E. Michaels

In the quiet setting of Coal Hill City Park, a grim discovery was made on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Kenneth E. Michaels, a 68-year-old man from the nearby city of Clarksville, was found deceased, the victim of a fatal shooting. The tranquility of the park was shattered around 3:30 p.m. when officers from the Coal Hill Police Department responded to reports of a shooting and located Mr. Michaels' body.

The investigation into the death of Kenneth E. Michaels swiftly led to a suspect. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a man fleeing the park immediately following the incident. This information, combined with a rapid response from law enforcement, resulted in the quick identification and apprehension of 25-year-old Colton T. Contant of Coal Hill. Within roughly half an hour of the initial police response, Contant was taken into custody without incident through the collaborative efforts of the Coal Hill Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputies. He was subsequently transported to the Johnson County Detention Center and has been charged with first-degree murder.

While the motive for the shooting remains under investigation, some details about the suspect have emerged through public records. In the month prior to the shooting, Colton T. Contant and a woman named Abigail L. Sill were reportedly charged with domestic battery and endangering the welfare of a child. Court records also indicated that a no-contact order was in place, prohibiting Sill from contacting Contant. Furthermore, Contant had a prior conviction in 2022 for second-degree terroristic threatening, obstructing governmental operations, and harassing communications, for which he received a 12-month jail sentence with 11 months suspended. The investigation into the death of Kenneth E. Michaels is active and ongoing as authorities work to piece together the events that led to the fatal encounter in the city park.