Trial date rescheduled in Little River County slaying

A trial date has been rescheduled for Aaron Michael Rhodes, 23, of Little River County, Ark., who is charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of Matthew Stewart.
The new trial date has been scheduled for July 25. The pretrial hearing will be July 5 in Little River County Circuit Court in Ashdown, Ark.
During the recent hearing, a trial date was scheduled for Rhodes, who has pleaded innocent to the charge. Circuit Court Judge Charles Yeargan scheduled the trial.
Courtney Clemensen, 20, of Little River County, is accused of tampering with evidence in the fatal shooting of Stewart.
Clemensen has also pleaded innocent to the charge of tampering with evidence.
A pretrial date of Oct. 11 has been scheduled for Clemensen and a trial date has been set for Oct. 24.
Deputies were called to Rhodes and Clemenson's residence at 2094 Arkansas Highway 32 W. about 8:30 p.m. Oct. 9, 2015, because of a shooting, according to an arrest affidavit.
When deputies arrived, they found the body of Stewart in a chair with a fatal gunshot wound to the head, according to the affidavit prepared by Arkansas State Police Senior Special Agent John Rhone.
Rhodes and Clemensen told police Stewart shot himself, according to the report.
When Rhone arrived a couple of days later to continue the investigation, Rhodes reportedly changed his story and claimed he accidentally shot Stewart while playing with a gun, which Rhone said was a .45-caliber pistol.
Stewart was sitting in a chair in the living room texting on the phone, and Rhodes was reportedly smoking marijuana when Rhodes picked up his handgun and began to play with it, officials said.
While Rhodes was allegedly playing with the gun, the firing pin was activated by a trigger pull, and a chambered bullet struck Stewart on the top of his head, according to the report.
After the shooting, Clemensen wiped the gun down to prevent it "from being forensically processed for fingerprints," according to the affidavit.
Clemensen also allegedly told police she picked up the shell casing ejected from the gun.
"During a follow-up interview, Clemensen changed her statement and stated Rhodes accidentally shot Stewart," the affidavit said.
Rhodes remains in the Little River County jail under a $100,000 bond. Clemensen has been released on bond.