A woman stood in a bank painting "Go Dawgs" on a large window.
Little paper bulldogs graced the lawn on Hampton's courthouse square.
A mother and her young son visited the town's library while a man in overalls strolled into the local feed store.
It was a normal Wednesday during high school football season and the school's fall break in Hampton, population 1,157, but a gloom seemingly hovered over the Calhoun County town.
Someone was gone.
Over the weekend, a murder occurred.
According to Arkansas State Police:
"At the request of the Hampton Police Department (HPD), the Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is investigating the death of a Hampton woman on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
At approximately 6 a.m., HPD officers and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in the 600 block of South 2nd Street regarding a reported assault. Upon arrival, first responders found Katherine Brice, 62, of Hampton, unconscious with injuries. Brice was transported to UAMS in Little Rock, where she succumbed to her injuries Sunday evening.
Following an ASP CID investigation, Special Agents arrested Roderick Freemont, 55, charging him with First-Degree Murder. Freemont was taken into custody and booked at the Calhoun County Detention Center."
Miss Kat
In her town, Brice was known as Miss Kat. For years, she worked as a custodian in the Hampton School District until her retirement.
Her last Facebook post was on Saturday.
Miss Kat was a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. People who knew her said she loved church and going to the beauty shop.
She liked to make cakes and banana nut bread. She sometimes sold them. Sometimes she gave them away.
She was a gentle soul, people said, who didn't deserve what happened to her. Some people hinted to the Reckoning that she may have been a victim of domestic violence but that has not been confirmed by law enforcement.
Many people described Miss Kat as "a sweetheart."
Those who knew her didn't want to go on the record to speak yet because they didn't want hinder the murder investigation or upset a grieving family.
However, people who loved Miss Kat want justice, and they don't want her case to fall in the cracks of the judicial system.
Where's Roderick Freemont?
Freemont, who appears to have family ties in Louisiana, was initially booked in the Calhoun County Detention Center.
VINELink showed Thursday night that Freemont had been extradited.
He's charged with the following:
Arrangements
A post on Facebook on Friday stated: "The family of Katherine Brice would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the love, prayers, and support shown to us during this difficult time
Service information is as follows:
Andrew's Funeral Home
1211 East Main Street, El Dorado, AR 71730
Funeral Services 9/1 1/2025 1:00pm at First Baptist
Church Harrell, Harrell, AR
Have a memory of Miss Kat? Share it with the Reckoning and email southarkansasreckoning@proton.me.
