ABC EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK - JAY C. RIDER

JAY C. RIDER

Jay Carl Rider is 65 years old and has been employed as an ABC Enforcement Agent since September 2003. Rider lives in Hackett. Rider began his career in law enforcement way back in 1975 as a patrolman with the Fort Smith Police Department and retired as head of their major crime unit in 2002 to become the chief of the Barling Police Department.

Rider gained notoriety back in 2005 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation

accused him of being the trigger man in the murder of Lori Murchison in 1995. 

In September 1995, Murchison and her boyfriend had been jailed on a charge of public intoxication in Fort Smith. When Murchison was released from jail, she told jailers that she intended to go pick up her paycheck, cash it and then return to bail out her boyfriend.  She never made it back.  The last time anyone saw her alive was when she went to the office at the Continental Motel to pick up a key to a room she and her boyfriend had there. 

Murchison is still listed as missing on the Fort Smith Police web site.

CLICK FOR FSPD WEB PAGE

CLICK TO VIEW NEWS STORY #1

CLICK TO VIEW NEWS STORY #2

The FBI investigation determined that Rider was part of an "inner group" in the Fort Smith Police Department that operated somewhat like cops depicted in the movies Magnum Force, Training day or The Departed. The FBI investigated claims that Rider killed Murchison and disposed her body at the direction of then Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Fields. The FBI investigation also involved accusations that Fields was involved in drug dealing and that he carried a gun and went on drug raids with Rider, which was a violation of federal law. 

According to a source, Murchison reportedly said something while in jail that linked Fields to being involved with illegal drugs.  When she was released, police officers in Fields' gang sent Rider to question her and allegedly Rider took Fields with him.

According to news reports, armed FBI agent swarmed Rider's home in connection with their investigation into Murchison's mysterious disappearance.

Rider, now working for the ABC, was subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury convened by the Public Corruption Section of the Department of Justice in Washington D.C.

The FBI's investigation caused Fields' security clearance to be revoked in May 2005 and he subsequently lost his job working for Asa Hutchinson at the Department of Homeland Security.   Not too long after, Hutchinson also left employment with DHS.

This was not the first time Rider was under the spotlight.  When Rider was Chief of the Barling Police Department there were complaints that he misused funds and spent too much time with a girlfriend. Rider was only chief for a short while.

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In September 2012, Rider was featured in an episode of Unusual Suspects on the Investigation Discovery Channel. One of the most interesting things gleaned from watching the show was that Rider was/is missing a front lower tooth.

CLICK FOR INFORMATION ABOUT EPISODE

IMDb EPISODE LISTING

Maybe the ID channel will have an episode that deals with the Murchison mystery.

Rider's involvement in the FBI's investigation places his integrity and credibility into question. Why would the DFA/ABC want to employ someone like Rider?

ABC ENFORCEMENT AGENTS LACK TOOLS TO PERFORM JOB FUNCTIONS

In an ABC Administrative Hearing back in 2013, an ABC Enforcement Agent testified that the ABC used Google Earth to measure distances. The agent stated that they do not have any tools to assist them in performing their duties...















Never mind that Google Earth and Maps are known to be inaccurate.

GPS FORUM DISCUSSION ABOUT GOOGLE ACCURACY


Google even has a disclaimer about their measurement tool.

Even ABC Board members questioned the use of Google to measure distances...

CLICK TO VIEW ENTIRE TRANSCRIPT (This matter is still being litigated)

Measurements are critical in the issuance of a permit to sell alcohol.  Incorrect measurements could have an adverse impact on the citizens of Arkansas.

Perhaps if the ABC was better managed and did not make unwise and imprudent budgetary decisions (like the re-purchase of that Dodge vehicle mentioned in an earlier post - April 22, 2015) they could provide tools to their employees to assist them in the performance of their duties.

FORMER ABC BOARD MEMBER RON FULLER NOW REPRESENTS APPLICANTS

Fuller now goes in front of the ABC Board, using his experience to get the booze flowing.

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Ron Fuller served on the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for over 16 years.  For 12 of those years he was chairman.  Fuller resigned from the ABC board June 1, 2013.  As chairman, Fuller was officious, imperious, overbearing and downright comical.

Fuller's antics on the board are well documented.

CLICK TO READ ABOUT RON'S SHENANIGANS

Fuller, who is a Republican, also served in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Fuller was a player with other republican thugs that tried to take down Bill Clinton.  According to a sworn statement made by Gennifer Flowers, Fuller offered her fifty thousand dollars and a job in California to make unfavorable comments about Clinton. Fuller was socially connected to Flowers and she was involved with Fuller's failed state senate campaign.

CLICK TO READ TRANSCRIPT OF FLOWERS' DEPOSITION


In The Hunting of the President, The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton, by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons, Fuller's legislative career is aptly described:

Even though Fuller is a Republican, he supported Gov. Mike Beebe which allowed him to have such a long tenure on the ABC board.

Fuller also has a business that rakes in cash from government programs.

RON & SONS

RON'S RIGHT AT HOME BUSINESS

CLICK FOR RON'S BLOG

ABC EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK - KAREN BLAGG

KAREN BLAGG (ON RIGHT) AND FRIEND

Karen Blagg lives in Bryant, and has been employed at the ABC as a legal support specialist since 1984.  Karen was born on October 25, 1946 and at 68 years of age is the oldest person working at the ABC!

Karen went to Arkansas High School in Texarkana way back in the 60's. 

Arkansas High did not have a black student graduate until 1968. That was 

also the first year that a black student was on the football or basketball team.

If you think that is impossible, just take a look at the Arkansas High yearbooks.

CLICK TO VIEW ARKANSAS HIGH YEARBOOKS.

Maybe that explains why Karen holds some of the beliefs and opinions she often expresses on Facebook...

Karen also posts a lot about other people being ignorant and stupid...

she even thinks her co-workers fall in that category...

Karen is also a little passive-aggressive...

Karen may have some other issues too...

Karen also believes in a good old fashioned ass whooping for children... 

Karen might also have an obsession with urination...

As you can see, Karen posts a prolific amount of asinine rubbish on Facebook. In fact if you printed out her current Facebook content it would be over 600 pages!  

Here are a few of Karen's TMI (too much information) posts...

 

As you can see, Karen spends a lot of time on Facebook (CLICK TO VIEW KAREN'S FB PAGE), posting and playing games.  A lot of this is done during the work day (you can click on a post and see the time it was posted). Maybe if Karen did not spend so much time goofing off at work she would not feel like this...

Karen's work load is stressful, or at least all that Facebook posting is wearing the poor old thing out...

Here are a few thing you might not know about Karen:

Karen likes sarcasm...

and irony...

Karen likes coffee...

Karen like to give fashion advice...

Karen wants to live in a log cabin...

Karen likes gossip and rumors... 

Karen like to share helpful tips about using Facebook...