The suspect did not know the employee before the attack, police say.

CONWAY, Ark. — A Walmart employee was fatally stabbed inside a Conway store late March 31, and police arrested a 37-year-old man who investigators said had no known link to her before the attack.

Conway police identified the victim as Jordanne Drinkwater, 32, an employee at the Walmart on Skyline Drive. Zeddrick Ross was taken into custody at the store and later booked into the Faulkner County Detention Center on a first-degree murder accusation. Police said the killing appeared to be an isolated attack, but investigators were still reviewing why it happened.

Officers were dispatched at about 10:58 p.m. after a report that a man was stabbing a female employee inside the store. Police said officers arrived within about a minute and found Ross still armed with a knife. Officers gave repeated commands for him to drop it, but police said he did not comply and advanced toward officers. One officer fired one shot, and another officer used a Taser. Ross was taken into custody without an apparent gunshot injury. Officers and emergency medical workers tried to save Drinkwater, but she died at the scene.

Police said no other shoppers, workers or officers were hurt. The preliminary investigation found Ross was not employed by Walmart, did not know Drinkwater and had no known contact with her before the stabbing. The store is on Skyline Drive in Conway, a central Arkansas city about 30 miles north of Little Rock. Conway police said the attack appeared to have started without a dispute between the two. Investigators have not said that any other person took part in the killing.

The case drew attention in Conway because police described the attack as random and because it happened in a large retail store that serves workers, families and late-night shoppers. A Walmart statement said the company was heartbroken by what happened at its Conway store and was focused on supporting associates and law enforcement. The company said workers had access to employee support services after the killing. Police Chief Chris Harris said investigators were trying to understand the motive and had not found a connection between Ross and Drinkwater.

Details released after the arrest added a troubling account of what Ross allegedly told investigators. Police said Ross told a detective he believed he was confronting a demon that had been following him. He later said he realized Drinkwater was not the figure he believed he had seen, according to accounts of the police affidavit. Investigators also said he reported having taken the knife earlier and going to the store while seeking another weapon. Those statements are part of the criminal investigation and may be reviewed in court as the case moves forward.

Ross remained in custody as the murder case began its early steps in Faulkner County. Police said the investigation was ongoing, including a review of store evidence, witness accounts, officer reports and the suspect’s statements. The officer who fired a weapon was placed on administrative leave, a routine step after an officer-involved shooting. Police said Ross was not struck. Prosecutors are expected to review the evidence before formal court proceedings continue.

Friends remembered Drinkwater as someone who was known by the nickname Puff and had a strong effect on people around her. Sam Slaughter, who said she had known Drinkwater for nearly 10 years, told a local station that the news stopped her cold. “I never met somebody as pure as Jordan,” Slaughter said. She said Drinkwater helped change her life for the better and would be missed by many people who knew her.

The Conway Police Department said it was still gathering evidence in the case. The next public milestone is expected in court, where prosecutors will decide how to proceed on the first-degree murder accusation against Ross.

Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.