The quiet community of Bonanza, Arkansas, is facing a grim reality after deputies discovered a mother and her two children shot to death inside their home — a discovery that came just one day after a court hearing tied to her ongoing divorce.
According to Fox News, deputies with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office conducted a welfare check on Dec. 3, entering the large home where 40-year-old Charity Beallis lived with her children. Inside, they found all three dead from gunshot wounds.
Authorities confirmed the timeline in a news release, noting the deaths occurred only a day after a hearing meant to finalize Charity’s divorce from her estranged husband, Randall.
The case has drawn renewed attention to concerns Charity herself had publicly raised months earlier.
Arkansas State Sen. Terry Rice told 5 News that Charity met with him early in 2025 and expressed fear for her life and the safety of her children. The meeting came after Randall’s February arrest, when he allegedly choked her during a domestic incident.
Court records from that arrest show Randall was initially charged with aggravated assault on a family member, third-degree domestic battery, and two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
In October, he pleaded guilty to a single third-degree battery charge and received a one-year suspended sentence.
He was also under a no-contact order barring him from communicating with Charity or her family — an order she approved.
Despite the violent history, deputies told 40/29 News that Randall was not considered a suspect as of Friday. His attorney said he has cooperated fully with investigators and supports the sheriff’s office as it works through the case.
Charity had been outspoken about the difficulty of navigating the legal system during her marital separation. In a comment on a 5 News story published in August, she wrote, “I’m living this battle right now. I am the victim, yet I’ve been treated like the problem while the criminal — a local doctor — is being shielded by the very system that’s supposed to protect us.”
She continued, “My voice, as the victim, has been shut out… This is not just about me — this is about a system that protects offenders and rejects victims. Lives are at stake, including the lives of young children.”
After Randall’s February arrest, Charity filed for divorce. Records show the couple married in 2015 and separated earlier this year. Charity was seeking full custody of the children.
The day after Charity and the children were found dead, Randall’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the divorce case.
Investigators say the search for answers is far from over.
“Search warrants have been written and executed with more search warrants anticipated during the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said. “Interviews have taken place with more anticipated.”
