Arkansas Authorities Detail Murder–Suicide That Claimed Lives of Pregnant Woman and Toddler
Authorities in Van Buren, Arkansas, have released additional details surrounding a 2021 murder–suicide that left a woman, her two-year-old son, and her unborn child dead in what investigators described as one of the region’s most devastating domestic-violence cases in recent years.
Police were called to a duplex on Williams Street shortly after 12:40 p.m. on April 18, 2021, following reports of gunfire that had penetrated a neighbor’s bedroom wall. Responding officers found three victims inside the home: 23-year-old Paiden Nicole Priest, her two-year-old son Alexander Beckham, and her husband, 24-year-old David Wayne Priest.
Investigators later determined that David Priest fatally shot his wife and stepson before turning the gun on himself. Paiden was in the final weeks of pregnancy at the time, and authorities confirmed that the unborn child also did not survive.
Police Sgt. Jonathan Wear, who responded to the scene, described it as “one of the worst cases” he had encountered in his career. The investigation concluded that the killings occurred inside a bedroom before at least one bullet exited the home and struck the wall of an adjacent duplex. No other residents were injured.
Neighbors told reporters they had seen the family outside playing in the yard in the weeks prior to the incident and described them as friendly. But several also recalled hearing arguments from inside the home in the days leading up to the shooting.
“They were always nice, they were sweet,” neighbor Sarah Beals said at the time. “The wife was beautiful, and the child was so kind. No innocent life should be taken — not a child, not a toddler, not a life that hadn’t even been born yet.”
Authorities did not release a clear motive, though investigators cited evidence of escalating domestic tension inside the home. Police records indicated no prior calls for violence at the residence.
The deaths stunned the Van Buren community, prompting local discussions on domestic-violence prevention, mental-health resources for young families, and the lack of visible warning signs before the tragedy.
In the weeks following the incident, neighbors placed flowers, candles, and children’s toys outside the duplex as a memorial to Alexander, who had recently begun walking and was described as curious and cheerful. Friends of Paiden remembered her as a devoted mother preparing to welcome a second child.
Domestic-violence advocates say the case underscores the particular risks facing pregnant women and young children. National data from the CDC indicate that homicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant and postpartum women in the United States.
For many in Van Buren, the case remains a painful reminder of how quickly intimate-partner violence can escalate behind closed doors, leaving families and communities searching for answers long after the official investigation ends.
