Slaying suspect faces child-porn case, too

BENTONVILLE — A Bentonville man charged with capital murder is now accused of possessing child pornography, according to court documents filed Monday.

Glenn Thatcher, 44, was arrested on two counts regarding distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against him in the child-pornography case.

Thatcher also is accused of killing Robert Blau, whose body was found Feb. 1 in a building in Gateway. He pleaded innocent to the murder charge and is being held without bail in the Benton County jail.

Proceedings in the murder case have been suspended while awaiting the outcome of a mental evaluation of Thatcher.

Police obtained a search warrant for Thatcher’s cellphone after his arrest in the murder case, and suspected child pornography was found on the phone, according to a probable-cause affidavit.

Benton County sheriff’s office detectives obtained the warrant to examine the phone to corroborate Thatcher’s statements regarding the blackmail and extortion he claimed he experienced from Blau leading up to the slaying, according to court documents.

The examination of the cellphone found suspected images of child pornography involving children from 6 to 9 years old and some images of teens younger than 17, according to court documents.

Chelsea Yates, who was Thatcher’s roommate, told Bentonville police that Thatcher told her he shot and killed Blau, according to the affidavit. Yates told officers that Thatcher showed the pistol he claimed was used in the slaying, according to the affidavit.

Bentonville police provided the information to Benton County sheriff’s office deputies, who went to 20147 U.S. 62 in Gateway and found Blau’s body, according to the affidavit. Medics found a small bullet wound in Blau’s chest, according to the affidavit.