A former employee of the man whose wife was found beaten to death in Drummonds last week has been arrested in her slaying.

Rickey A. Bell Jr., 30, was arrested about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday in the death of Starr Harris, 36, whose body was found in the woods behind her home last Tuesday.


Rickey Bell Jr.
Search our databases. Bell, who worked for Rick Harris' lawn-care company, is expected to be formally charged with first-degree murder Thursday morning, Tipton County Sheriff Chief Deputy Billy Daugherty said.

It's uncertain if Bell is the only suspect in the case.

"We're continuing to investigate the case," Daugherty said. "We can't say there will be any more suspects, and we can't say there won't be more suspects."

Just before 8:40 p.m. on June 1, a stepson found Harris' body in the wooded area behind 57 Richardson Landing Lane, where the family lived. She was killed by blunt-force trauma to her head and upper torso.

Bell's address was listed as 7612 Richardson Landing Road, not far from the Harris home.

Daugherty said the department is investigating whether Bell may have been upset over a paycheck.

"We've heard that information, but we can't confirm that right now," he said. 'We're investigating that and many other things at this point."

Daugherty said Bell was recently released from a Pennsylvania prison after a long sentence for armed robbery.

Investigators used a sexual-assault kit to collect evidence, normal procedure in this kind of case. It's unknown, though, if Harris was raped.

Harris' body was discovered after her stepson arrived home about 8 p.m. and found the back door open and a computer on the floor.