BENTONVILLE — A jury will deliberate today if a Missouri man armed with an AR-15 rifle forced his way into his former girlfriend's home and attacked her.
Jason Allen Farmer of Reed, Mo., 34, is charged with aggravated residential burglary, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault on a family or household member, terroristic threatening and domestic battering.
Farmer was arrested Jan. 4, 2016. Gentry police responded to a 1:48 a.m. call that morning concerning a physical disturbance at 405 Willow St., the home of Darcy Fisher, Farmer's former girlfriend.
Sgt. Clay Stewart with the Gentry Police Department testified Tuesday officers found Farmer in the home. Police found a knife in one of Farmer's pockets, a loaded AR-15 on a bedroom floor and a flak jacket in the living room, Stewart said.
Police identified the AR-15 as Farmer's and Farmer told police the gun was "his baby," Stewart said.
Stewart also said police later found two handguns, a tactical knife and ammunition in Farmer's car.
Fisher said she and Farmer had been in a relationship, but it ended before Farmer came to her home that early morning.
Fisher said beating on her door woke her and Farmer, armed with his AR-15 and wearing a flak jacket, forced his way into her home and attacked her. She said she thought Farmer was going to kill her.
She told jurors Farmer held a knife to her face and threatened her. She was able to flee the home and made it to a neighbor's home, but Farmer forced her back to her home, she said.
Fisher claimed Farmer placed her AR-15 and television in his car, but she was able to get the gun away from Farmer.
Prosecutors played voicemails Farmer left on Fisher's cellphone. Some messages were profane and threatening in nature. In one voicemail Farmer said he would come to Fisher's home and kick in her door. Farmer also referenced having a shootout with police.
Prosecutors introduced 42 pages of text messages between Farmer and Fisher.
Stuart Cearley, chief deputy prosecutor, read Farmer's messages while Fisher read the ones she had sent to Farmer. Some of Farmer's messages were threatening, but Fisher sent offensive comments to Farmer in her messages.
Matthew Swindle, one of Farmer's attorneys, questioned Fisher about the text messages and if she provided police with all of the messages. She said there were other messages.
Swindle introduced as evidence another set of text messages. Some were different from the ones prosecutors had. Fisher said some of Farmer's messages had been deleted in the packet presented by the defense.
Swindle also questioned Fisher about what he described as inconsistencies in her statements about the case.
Stewart testified Fisher's unloaded AR-15 and television were in her living room.
Fisher told police Farmer took the gun and television and put them in his vehicle. Fisher was able to retrieve the gun but said she didn't remove the television from the car. Fisher didn't explain how the television ended up in her living room.
Swindle and John Zaharopoulos, Farmer's other attorney, claim Farmer only went to Fisher's home to retrieve his belongings, which included one of the AR-15s.
Jason Sandbothe, a police officer from Missouri and Farmer's friend, said Farmer called and asked him to come to his house Dec. 21, 2015. Fisher also was at the home and refused to leave, and Farmer said he was ending the relationship, Sanbothe said.
Sandbothe said he and Farmer left Fisher at the home, and when they returned clothing and other items were in Farmer's yard. Farmer's AR-15, money and military awards were missing, Sanbothe said.
Fisher denied she stole anything from Farmer's home.
Sandbothe was the only witness called by the defense. Farmer didn't testify.
About The Case
Jason Farmer faces from 10 to 40 years or life imprisonment on each charge if convicted of aggravated robbery and aggravated residential burglary. He could be sentenced up to six years each if convicted of aggravated assault on a family or household member and terroristic threatening. Farmer faces up to a year in jail if convicted of domestic battering.
Source: Staff Report