Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. When an individual commits a crime or is alleged to have committed one, the community hopes for a quick capture. Sometimes that occurs, and sometimes capture takes a little while. Still, those in law enforcement are persistent in their diligence in apprehending criminal suspects and keeping us safe.

Law enforcement announced two arrests over the last several days that culminated in the arrests of two alleged suspects. The first arrest announcement was made by West Monroe PD around September 6, 2022 on the capture of alleged suspect Eddie Lawrence Holland, who was accused of stabbing a friend in his back in September 2019. According to law enforcement, Holland allegedly "violently" attacked the unidentified person by repeatedly stabbing the individual in May of 2019 following an argument. Holland was not captured following the alleged incident, as he was able to evade officers for three years. After the victim and a witness identified Holland as the perpetrator, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

They (West Monroe PD) seem to believe that Holland and the alleged victim and witness were friends and had been that way for several years. Officers confirmed that the attack by stabbing was violent because of blood splatters throughout the Gulpha Drive apartment where the alleged attack occurred. According to reports, the victim had been stabbed at least nine times. As a result of the attack, Holland was charged with Attempted Second-Degree Murder. Holland is now incarcerated under an $800,000 bond and is not expected to go anywhere anytime soon.

Monroe PD shared the news that an individual they had been searching for had been apprehended. Tommy McFarland had been wanted since February of 2020 for an alleged Armed Robbery and Attempted Second-Degree Murder. According to MPD, officers were notified of a shooting incident from a local hospital. When detectives arrived, they learned that the victim, who had been shot, said he was "lured" to a Parkview apartment by a female.

After further investigation, the female was located, interviewed, and allegedly told officers that she and McFarland allegedly had planned to rob the victim. The female told detectives that McFarland allegedly told her he had shot the victim in the head. Detectives then obtained a warrant and arrested McFarland on Friday, September 9, 2022, where he was taken to Ouachita Correctional Center, booked on charges of Armed Robbery and Attempted Second-Degree Murder. These two arrest announcements illustrate that sooner or later, those who commit the alleged crime will get caught and do the time.