Gary Adkins murder of Joe Ann Reuting

Gary Adkins killed his daughter, Jo Ann Reuting, inside a home on North Monroe Street in Cabot, Arkansas, on March 14, 2022.

Cabot police responded to the residence after receiving a report of a domestic disturbance. When officers entered the home, they found a dead woman inside. Investigators took Adkins, who lived at the house, into custody at the scene.

Prosecutors initially charged Adkins with capital murder. Court records show he later entered a negotiated guilty plea to second-degree murder on June 6, 2023.

Jo Ann was 48 when she was killed. According to her obituary, she enjoyed making jewelry, reading, watching the razorbacks, and cooking. Her specialties were cookies, tacos and spaghetti.

Jo Ann was preceded in death by a son, Nathaniel Vandiver, and survived by children Rebecca Vandiver, Joseph Vandiver II, and step children Annabelle Black and Ernie Reuting III.

The court sentenced Adkins to 30 years in prison. He entered the Arkansas prison system on June 7, 2023 and is currently housed at the Ouachita River Unit in Malvern.

Adkins is 74 years old as of 2026. His earliest projected release date is October 23, 2030. Correctional records note disciplinary incidents involving battery during his incarceration. This is his first incarceration.