Man confesses he ran over, shot teacher outside Little Rock school: court docs

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Court records filed on Thursday provide additional details in the Wednesday death of a Little Rock School District employee outside the Rockefeller Early Childhood Center in Little Rock.

Little Rock police officials said on Thursday that 36-year-old Michelle Butler of Little Rock “died from apparent gunshot wounds” in the incident. Records show that 29-year-old Duane Nooner told detectives he ran over Butler with his car “several times” and then grabbed a pistol from inside Butler’s nearby car and shot her “multiple times.”

Nooner was in court Thursday and entered a not guilty plea to a charge of capital murder. Records show his next court appearance is Oct. 20. He remains in the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility without a bond being set.

He was taken into custody within 30 minutes of Butler’s death, according to court records.

Records filed with the court appearance today include the detective’s report on Butler’s death investigation.

The report shows that detectives found Nooner quickly after checking surveillance footage from the area shortly after being alerted to the shooting.

The footage shows a black sedan with a spare tire on the left front wheel “completely running over” Butler after striking her several times, the detective’s report states. A man later identified as Nooner is seen getting out of the car and shooting Butler, according to the report.

The car’s license plate showed it to be registered to Nooner and a second man, according to the report.

After spotting it on the video, detectives broadcast a description of the vehicle to all officers, the report states.

Little Rock officers on patrol spotted the sedan at a Little Rock gas station. As officers moved toward the car, the report states, they saw Nooner jump out of the car and try to run away.

Officers, per the report, ordered Nooner to get on the ground, and he did so. He was wearing the same clothes seen on the surveillance video, detectives said in the report.

The report concludes that Nooner waived his Miranda rights and confessed to detectives that he ran over and shot Butler. He threw the gun away as he fled the scene, he told detectives.