Died in jail or a lockup
Christopher Cody Burns
Christopher Cody Burns was 41 when he died on September 3, 2025. Police took him into custody after a crash near a church on 62nd Street in Fort Smith, and witnesses told KHBS that he ran into the church, where staff held him until officers arrived. Officers placed him in a patrol vehicle to take him to the Sebastian County Detention Center, where they found him unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead at Baptist Health. The cause and manner of death are still pending, and the Arkansas State Police and the Fort Smith Police Department are investigating.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined. Arkansas State Police lists the manner of death as pending while it investigates with the Fort Smith Police Department.