Russellville man shot to death

According to authorities, officers with the Russellville Police Department responded to a 911 call that someone had been shot at 701 Hawkins Road in Russellville about 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Upon arriving, officers discovered one man already deceased and took two other men at the scene into custody for questioning, which led to Mills being charged with murder.

According to Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett, the defendant and the victim, Robert Leroy Presley, 70, who was confined to a wheelchair, had a confrontation at the victim’s residence.

The confrontation escalated and led to the defendant pulling a hand gun from his vehicle and firing several shots, striking the victim.

The victim’s body has been sent for autopsy and a preliminary report is expected soon, Hargett said.

The case is still under investigation. 

At a bond hearing Friday morning, Franklin County District Judge Paula McDowell set Mills’ bond at $500,000. 

Mills was instructed by McDowell that conditions of his bond prohibited him from having any contact with the victim’s family and that he was to place all firearms in the possession of a family member.

Mills was transferred to the Franklin County Jail where he will be detained until a motion to revoke hearing is held in Mills’ 2008 methamphetamine case. 

Because of his limited involvement in that case, Mills pled to a misdemeanor charge of second-degree possession of marijuana and received a one year sentence suspended for two years on good behavior.

If Mills’ suspended sentence is revoked for the full year, Mills would be ineligible for bond in his current case while he served this sentence.