Calvin Adams murder of Richard Austin

Calvin Adams kidnapped a married couple from their home in Leachville, Arkansas, in April 1994, then shot them at a remote location, killing the husband and seriously injuring the pregnant wife.

The victims were Richard Austin, 25, an executive vice president and loan officer at Leachville State Bank, and his wife Cassandra Austin, 26, who was five and a half months pregnant.

Investigators said Adams intended to rob the bank using Richard Austin’s access. On the night of April 15, 1994, Adams went to the Austins’ home. A local farmer later reported seeing Adams and the couple leave the residence together between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m., heading north.

Investigators later determined the group never entered the bank. Surveillance footage from Leachville State Bank showed no recorded entry that night.

At 10:46 p.m., the Leachville Fire Department responded to a report of a car fire at the Austins’ home. Firefighters contacted police after noticing suspicious circumstances. When an investigator arrived around 11:30 p.m., both vehicles were still at the residence, and the lights, television, and VCR were on, indicating the home had been left abruptly.

Authorities said Adams drove the Austins to a remote area near a levee, sometimes referred to as Buckeye. There, Adams shot Richard Austin three times, killing him at the scene. He also shot Cassandra Austin in the shoulder and struck her in the head with a blunt object, causing a skull fracture.

Despite her injuries, Cassandra Austin walked more than a mile to a nearby farmhouse, where she called for help. She was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Blytheville and later transferred to Regional Medical Center in Memphis. She survived, and doctors reported her unborn child was in good health.

Investigators said Adams returned the couple’s vehicle to their home and set it on fire after the shootings.

Adams initially denied involvement. Investigators later said he confessed after being told he had failed a polygraph examination.

On February 7, 1995, Adams pleaded guilty to capital murder in connection with Richard Austin’s death. The court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors also charged him with attempted capital murder, attempted aggravated robbery, criminal mischief, and two counts of kidnapping related to the attack on Cassandra Austin.

Adams entered the Arkansas prison system on February 9, 1995.

His incarceration has included multiple escape incidents. In May 2009, Adams and another inmate escaped from the Cummins Unit by wearing guard uniforms and driving out of the prison in a vehicle left in the parking lot. Authorities captured them four days later in New York state.

In September 2019, prison officials reported Adams missing from the East Arkansas Regional Unit in Brickeys. Authorities later found him hiding beneath a large ventilation hood on the prison roof. Officials transferred him to maximum security housing following the incident.

Adams is currently housed at the Varner Unit in Gould. He remains incarcerated under a life without parole sentence.