x
Breaking News
More () »

Dead Greenwod Father Remembered As A “Wonderful” Person, Family Says

YELL COUNTY (KFSM) – The family of man who was found dead with his 10-month-old son in the Ouachita Mountains this week issued a statement praising the fa...

YELL COUNTY (KFSM) - The family of man who was found dead with his 10-month-old son in the Ouachita Mountains this week issued a statement praising the father as a "wonderful" person.

Authorities found the bodies of Brian Floyd, 33, of Greenwood and  his 10-month-old son, Harper, in a remote area near the father's abandoned pickup on Tuesday. His wife and the child's mother, Brooke Floyd, was jailed in Dardanelle on suspicion of felony child endangerment and has been released on a $50,000 bond. She was named by the sheriff as a possible suspect in the deaths.

In the Floyd family statement issued Thursday (July 31), Brian Floyd Sr. said it is difficult for the family to comprehend that Brian and Harper are dead.

"Brian was a wonderful son, brother, father and cousin," Brian Floyd Sr. said. "Harper was our little ray of sunshine! We would like to thank the Yell County Sheriff’s Office and all other agencies for their unwavering   efforts in finding Brian and Harper.

"They were exceptional," he continued. "We have lost two beautiful souls, and heaven has gained two very special Angels dear to our hearts. Our prayers are with Brooke, his wife and her family."

After the father and son’s disappearance, authorities launched a search and rescue effort. Search crews on Tuesday first found Harper Floyd dead around 1:30 p.m., before finding the body of Brian Floyd about an hour later, according to the Yell County Sheriff's Department.

A backpack was found with the bodies, along with some materials not identified by investigators, according to the Sheriff's Department. No weapon was found at the scene.

Brian Floyd and his son went missing Friday near Blue Mountain Lake. The father’s 1998 Chevy King Cab pickup truck later was found in a “remote area,” according to authorities. The father and son were not in the truck.

Brooke Floyd, 21, of Greenwood was arrested over the weekend with cuts and scratches on her body, authorities said.

Brooke Floyd was arrested because she abandoned the child with Brian Floyd in the Ouachita Mountains, Gilkey said July 29.

The father and son were last seen after Brian Floyd’s truck broke down in the Ouachita Mountains south of Blue Mountain Lake, according to officials.

At a news conference on July 28 in Danville, authorities said the Yell County Sheriff’s Department located Brian Floyd’s pickup truck in the mountains.

“The truck was driven to a very remote area,” Gilkey said. “There’s not even a road to get where the truck is.”

Brian Floyd was arrested previously on July 20 on suspicion of communicating a false alarm, according to an arrest report.

Authorities were dispatched to the Floyd residence in the 1500 block of Battlefield Dr. on a possible burglary in progress. While on the way, authorities were informed by the 911 dispatch center that the caller had a history of mental illness, the report states.

When the authorities arrived, they found Brian Floyd driving around his residence in his vehicle. They talked him out of his vehicle while he was in a “manic state” and hallucinating, and he told authorities that a woman had broken into his house and had also been driving around his property, according to the report.

Authorities checked the home and found nothing was disturbed or broken. Floyd said he saw a police officer dressed in black and police dogs walking around his property. He also the officer and dog were on his roof before the woman broke into his house, the report states.

A family member was contacted to help authorities deal with him. That family member told authorities that Brian Floyd had been having trouble with his medicine. He was taken to the Sebastian County Detention Center, according to the report.

Before You Leave, Check This Out