Mental eval ordered for De Queen charged with capital murders

A De Queen man accused of killing three family members in Madison County in 2021 has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he is capable of standing before a jury trial.
According to court records, on June 13 the Circuit Court of Madison County ordered the mental health evaluation and criminal responsibility exam for 25-year-old Hunter Chenoweth of De Queen. Chenoweth is accused of killing his mother, 51-year-old Tami Lynn Chenoweth; his stepfather, 59-year-old James Stanley McGhee; and his sister, 26-year-old Cheyenne Chenoweth. All three were found deceased inside a home in Madison County on Feb. 23 of 2021, according to the Arkansas State Police.
The evaluation will determine if Chenoweth, who has pleaded not guilty to the three counts of capital murder, is capable of appearing in court for a jury trial.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in Chenoweth’s case.

Chenoweth has been repeatedly scheduled to appear in court for a jury trial over the past year and a half. However, the trial has been continued on several occasions due to incomplete reports from the Arkansas State Crime Lab. The jury trial is now on hold pending completion of the mental health evaluation.