‍‍This article is Part 9 of an ongoing series called #ARCorrectionsCrisis, which focuses on the dysfunction of the Arkansas Board of Corrections. As part of these ‘revolving door’ stories, we will specifically highlight the violent criminals the Board has released through the disastrous Emergency Powers Act and honor their victims–and we won’t stop until the Board finally starts to prioritize the safety of Arkansans above the comfort of criminals. dagjflkgfnalhkjfdh‍

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Last week, we released a bit of a bombshell piece that outlined how the Board of Corrections has been utilizing a Clinton-era “pressure release valve” to unleash criminals into the streets of Arkansas. Over roughly the last decade alone, nearly 30,000 inmates have been the benefactors of this disastrous policy, while violent crime in the state has soared to record levels.

The story has received a flurry of feedback, much of it mixed. Many Arkansans, like me, are filled with outrage while also struggling to believe that something so horrible could be true. Others have dismissed the claims outright, despite the clarity of Department of Corrections records on this matter.

According to these skeptics, it’s impossible that criminals could possibly be released after just three months on a three year sentence. Well, at least not for violent crimes. And besides, if the crimes were that bad, they argue, the sentences would have been much longer than three years!

If only they were right.

Unfortunately, there are dozens of examples–from just one year of the EPA releases that we have on file–of violent criminals being set loose after serving fractions of their sentences. And they are all too easy to find, if you are willing to look.

In fact, after about 90 seconds of scanning the EPA release list, I came across Lloyd Edward Barber III.

Barber was in state prison for a domestic battery charge, with a sentence of three years–but he was approved for early release by the Board of Corrections after serving barely four months in 2022.

But as it turns out, before his 2022 early release from prison, Barber had also been charged with numerous felonies, many of them violent. He had allegedly beaten a former roommate, who later died. And he was awaiting trial for murder.

Nonetheless, the Board of Corrections released him into our streets anyway.

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‍LLOYD EDWARD BARBER III WAS ALLEGEDLY THE DRIVER IN A GANG ROBBERY & ASSAULT (CASES 1 & 2)‍

Based on available records, it appears Barber’s involvement with the criminal justice system began in 2012 (Case #1). At that time, Barber was charged with under age driving under the influence, driving left of center, and refusing to submit to a chemical test (presumably a breathalyzer). These charges were ultimately dropped in 2014, although it’s unclear why.

But by 2016, Barber was back in the criminal scene, crossing into much more serious territory: on the night of July 24, 2016, according to a sworn statement from the responding officer, Ramon Miller of Forrest City was jumped by three individuals. Miller was carrying a few thousand dollars worth of camera equipment and the attackers demanded to know what he had been taking pictures of before ultimately stealing the equipment and punching Miller, even stomping him into the ground.

Miller identified Barber as one of the attackers in a photo lineup; according to Miller, Barber had been the driver for the group.

Barber was charged with two felonies (robbery & theft of property), and 3rd degree battery (Case #2).

After numerous motions to continue and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these charges were ultimately dropped in May 2021, nearly five years after the incident occurred–but presumably in part because by this time, Barber was facing additional, more recent battery charges.‍

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JUST WEEKS AFTER PROPERTY & IDENTITY THEFT, BARBER COMMITTED 2ND DEGREE BATTERY AND ENDANGERED THE LIFE OF A MINOR (CASES 3 & 4)‍

Barber took a brief detour into identity theft and property crime of more than $25,000 in September 2018 (Case #3), to which he ultimately pled guilty just recently. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison. But while that case was pending, Barber was on the streets and wasted no time jumping back into the violent crime scene as well.

Indeed, just a few weeks later, Barber was involved in a violent altercation with his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend Padishar Joshaway (Case #4).

Barber fired shots from his revolver, hitting Joshaway with a bullet before beating him with the gun directly. The couple’s four-year-old daughter was in Barber’s vehicle during the shooting.

Here’s part of the probable cause statement from the case:

Barber was convicted of these crimes in May of 2022 and sentenced to three years in prison. But, thanks to the Board of Corrections, he served just a few months.

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BARBER (ALLEGEDLY) BEAT LARRY HATTON, BREAKING SIX RIBS (CASE 5)

But Barber wasn’t done: On February 4th, 2019, just a few months after his violent episode against Joshaway, Barber allegedly entered the home of Larry Hatton in Forrest City and proceeded to beat him “severely” (Case #5).

Here’s Hatton’s firsthand, vivid account (Note: the 'N' word has been redacted):

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These charges were dropped in early 2022 as well, perhaps in part because, as noted by the prosecutor, Larry Hatton had passed away, and Barber was still awaiting a ruling on his other domestic battery charge.

But also perhaps because Barber was, at that point, also the subject of a murder investigation.

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BARBER MURDERED EVERETT WILLIAMS IN THE STREETS OF FORREST CITY (CASE 6)

And finally, on November 20th, 2021, Barber and an accomplice murdered Everett Williams in cold blood (Case #6). There are not enough records available to know exactly what precipitated the killing.

According to the sworn statement by one of the law enforcement officers involved in the case, Mr. Williams used his literal dying breath to tell the responding officer that Barber he had been shot by "BB," which the officer says was a "well known" nickname for Barber around the department and had been documented. The shooting was captured by local camera footage.

Barber was found guilty of second degree murder by a jury of his peers late last year and sentenced to 30 years in state prison, where he will hopefully stay. That is unless of course the Board of Corrections decides to release him again.

BARBER WAS RELEASED BY THE BOARD OF CORRECTIONS AFTER COMMITTING MURDER

After the murder of Everett Williams, Barber was re-arrested and sent to state prison. But shockingly, based on records Opportunity Arkansas has obtained and department records available online, Barber was approved for early parole release under the Emergency Powers Act by the Board of Corrections and went back into society in September of 2022–less than a year after murdering Williams.

Here is Barber’s name on the EPA list we published last week:

ADC records confirm he was not just approved for release but was in fact released in September 2022.

In fact, Barber did hardly three months’ time on his second degree battery charge before being released back into the streets of Arkansas in September 2022. Based on the available records, it appears he was loose until his murder conviction just a few months ago.

To be clear: Barber had already been convicted of shooting and beating Padishar Joshaway and endangering the life of his young daughter. He was awaiting trial for murder. And the Board of Corrections released him anyway.

It's not as if they didn't know: Barber's involvement in the murder of Everett Williams was public knowledge, and had been for some time. Why on earth was this allowed to happen?

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WHY WAS LLOYD BARBER EVER TURNED LOOSE ON ARKANSANS?

Lloyd Edward Barber never should have been released back into Arkansas. He is a violent criminal with a long history of causing harm to our neighbors, including minors. And his release raises more questions than answers.

• Why was Barber approved for early release–or release at all, given his checkered past?
• Will the Board of Corrections ever face any consequences for the release of people like Barber and the damage they’ve caused to our state?
• How many more Lloyd Barber’s exist in our communities right now, that the Board of Corrections has turned loose?
• Why wasn’t the public more appropriately notified of Barber’s release and his whereabouts?
• Why is it so difficult to get accurate, detailed information about releases like Barber’s? (It took OA staff close to 10 hours to gather and analyze all of the information presented in this article, utilizing multiple databases, FOIA requests, calls, and more.)‍
• Were Barber's previous victims notified of his release and any potential danger this might pose to them or their families?

What’s unfolding before our very eyes is a disaster of, well, criminal proportions. The Board of Corrections in this case, and in many others, failed to keep Arkansans safe. They failed to rehabilitate Lloyd Barber. And they are still failing, by refusing to take ownership and accept any responsibility for their failed policies.

This is the revolving door of our criminal justice system.