Bond hearing set for man accused of shooting motel employee over loud music

A man who said he was upset by loud music a motel cleaning crew was playing in the room next to his is charged with criminal attempt to commit first degree murder after he shot a motel employee three times.
Sixty-five-year-old Gary Neal Frans of Mountain Home appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday and his attorney asked the court to consider reducing Frans’ current $500,000 bond.

Mountain Home attorney Paul Bayless told the court that Frans had been in jail for about six months unable to raise the money to make the current bond.

Circuit Judge John Putman did not grant the request Monday but did set a bond hearing for October 6.

Frans was reported to be staying at the Mountain Home Inn when the incident occurred.

Officers from the Mountain Home Police Department responded to the report of a shooting at the motel on the afternoon of March 16.

Two female members of the cleaning crew, one of whom was 16-years-old, told officers they had been working in a room next to the one occupied by Frans.

They said the victim worked at the front desk at the Mountain Inn and had come to the room where they were working to give them instructions.

Frans, who was described as “obviously inebriated”, complained about the music and the crew members said the victim told Frans, whose blood alcohol level was .27, three times the legal limit in Arkansas, he needed to go back to his room and mind his own business.

At that point, Frans is alleged to have raised the gun he was carrying and fired three shots at the front desk person who was in the room, hitting him all three times.

The victim is reported to have pleaded with Frans not to shoot him but Frans did not reply as the shots were being fired.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim was taken to Baxter Health and then transported to CoxHealth Medical Center South in Springfield.

The heavily intoxicated Frans was arrested in his room where he was found sitting with a firearm at his feet.

In addition to criminal attempt to commit first degree capital murder, Frans is charged with aggravated assault.

He has pled not guilty to the charges.

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