Bull Shoals, AR – In what law enforcement officials are calling a tragic case of domestic violence turned deadly, 38-year-old Taylor Due was found fatally shot inside her home in Bull Shoals early Monday morning. Her estranged husband, 49-year-old Brooks Dean Due, was the prime suspect and the subject of a region-wide manhunt. He was found dead later that afternoon from what authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, ending a manhunt that spanned several counties and involved multiple agencies.
Timeline of Events: A Day of Violence and Tragedy
Morning – Discovery of the Crime Scene
At approximately 7:32 a.m., the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a concerned neighbor who reported hearing multiple gunshots from the residence on Red Oak Lane, a quiet neighborhood in Bull Shoals where Taylor Due had been living alone since separating from her husband several months prior.
When officers from the Bull Shoals Police Department and Marion County deputies arrived on the scene, they found Taylor Due deceased inside the home. Preliminary reports indicate she suffered multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.
Within the hour, law enforcement identified her estranged husband, Brooks Dean Due, as the primary suspect in her killing.
Late Morning – Statewide Alert Issued for Suspect
Due had reportedly fled the scene in his black 2013 Dodge Avenger with Arkansas Disabled license plate 305607. Law enforcement launched a multi-agency manhunt, issuing a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) alert across the state and labeling Brooks Due armed and dangerous.
Sheriff Gregg Alexander of Marion County held a press conference before noon, confirming that an arrest warrant had been issued for First-Degree Murder and Violation of a Protection Order. Taylor had obtained a protection order against Brooks earlier in the year due to what sources described as escalating verbal threats, harassment, and past physical confrontations.
Afternoon – Search and Discovery
Law enforcement tracked Due’s known residences and areas he had frequented in the past. A key break came just after 2:25 p.m., when deputies from Baxter County located his vehicle parked along Shoal Creek Trail, a remote area owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, near Norfork Lake.
Sheriff John Montgomery of Baxter County immediately deployed additional search resources, including a helicopter from the Arkansas State Police and the canine tracking team from the North Central Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections in Calico Rock.
Just before 3:15 p.m., the tracking dogs led authorities approximately 70 to 75 yards off the wooded trail, where they discovered the body of Brooks Dean Due lying face down with a firearm nearby. He had died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Baxter County Coroner’s Office confirmed the death on-site, and his body was transported for autopsy.
A Closer Look at the Victim: Remembering Taylor Due
Taylor Due, born in 1987, was a long-time resident of the Bull Shoals area. Friends and neighbors describe her as someone with a “radiant spirit” and a “fierce devotion to helping others.” She had worked as a nurse technician at a local clinic and was heavily involved in community activities, especially those focused on women’s health and safety.
“She was the kind of person who would show up to help you even if she didn’t know you well,” said Clara Jennings, a neighbor. “She was finally starting to heal and build a new life.”
According to multiple friends, Taylor had ended the marriage due to emotional abuse, controlling behavior, and increasing threats. She had taken steps to secure her home, change her routines, and legally distance herself from Brooks.
She had
