Mountain Home, AR. – A man who was charged with the first-degree murder of his girlfriend in Baxter County had his bond reduced to half its original price after a court hearing on Monday, July 1, 2024.
During 44-year-old Dusty Wheeler’s scheduled court hearing, his attorney asked that his client’s $1 million bond be lowered. The judge reduced his bond to $500,000 with conditions of house arrest while wearing an ankle monitor, no contact with the victim’s family, and Wheeler is prohibited from drinking any alcoholic beverages. Wheeler told the court he would be staying with his mother in the Batesville area. The state had opposed the lowering of the bond amount.
Wheeler was charged with first-degree murder on June 14, 2024, after he allegedly shot 36-year-old Heather Bradford in the head during a domestic dispute. The victim’s parents had gone to the residence after receiving a call from their daughter who said she had a fight with Wheeler and he had struck her across the face. When they arrived, they found Bradford on the front lawn with a gunshot wound to the side of her head. Wheeler was found inside asleep on the couch where he was then detained by the Mountain Home Police.
