Dardanelle Police Department

07/13/2026

The Dardanelle Police Department and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminds drivers that speeding has legal consequences. As part of the Speeding Slows You Down high-visibility enforcement campaign, drivers will see more law enforcement on the roads.

Law enforcement agencies across the state will be working the high-visibility mobilization from Jily 13 through July 31, 2026.

Speeding-related fatalities affect communities nationwide every year. In 2024, there were 11,288 speed-related traffic fatalities, accounting for 29% of all traffic fatalities. Young drivers have a higher chance of being involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2024, 39% of male drivers and 20% of female drivers in the 15- to 20-year-old age group involved in fatal traffic crashes were speeding.
The consequences of speeding can lead to a costly ticket, potential jail time, or worse, a crash resulting in injuries or death.

The Dardanelle Police Department and the NHTSHA want to remind drivers to slow down, your family and others want you alive!

07/04/2026

07/03/2026

Social media is doing what social media does so here’s the facts we currently have:

*On June 24, 2026, at 2:50 a.m. an officer with the Dardanelle Police Department was dispatched to a residence in reference to a possible suicidal person. The officer was told Ashlynn Bocksnick left the home with her 6-week-old baby, Lalynn Dream Williams just prior to the call. They were concerned about the safety of Ashlynn and Lalynn because of statements she had made prior to leaving the house. The officer on scene issued an alert to area agencies with a description of the vehicle she was believed to be driving.

*At 4:40 am the officer located the vehicle in question parked on the boat ramp at Veteran's Park, facing the river and about 10' away from the water's edge. The vehicle was empty and the officer immediately searched the area on foot. The Yell County Office of Emergency Management and the Yell County Mounted Patrol were contacted for assistance.

*A surveillance camera at the Dardanelle City Hall showed Ashlynn pulling into the parking lot and up to the boat ramp. She got out of the car, circled around the back and opened the rear passenger side door where she leaned in for approximately one minute then picked something up, due to the distance you cannot see Lalynn but her car seat was exactly where she was leaning into. It was first reported that she was last seen walking toward the water but not entering it, enhanced viewing does show her enter the water, but nothing can be seen after that.

*The Corps of Engineer had to open the gates on the Dardanelle Dam because of water from Oklahoma, which caused the rising water and dangerous currents became too hazardous for crews, but they still were out there and in the water. On Monday afternoon the search was scaled back but crews are still out there searching every day. Here are the basic numbers as of Monday for what crews have done:

-85 miles of river have been searched (Dardanelle lock and dam to the river bridge in Little Rock). Crews have put boats in the water and searched from:
• River Bridge in Little Rock to Toad Suck in Conway
• Toad Suck to Morrilton
• Morrilton to the Dardanelle Lock & Dam
• Then back to the River Bridge in Little Rock from Dardanelle.

36 different agencies across the State of Arkansas have responded to help so far. The number is expected to grow.
• 5 drone teams
• 5 civilian boats
• 7 dog teams
• 1 Survival Flight helicopter
• 1 personal airplane.

The Corps of Engineers said they will be closing the gates on the Dardanelle Dam on the 11th. Once the water level goes back to normal the full search will resume the search.

A few rumors and items to clear up:

-Some minor details may have changed from the initial press release due to further investigations. While dissecting the video, Assistant Chief Blevins said he can see Ashlynn enter the water. It is difficult to see due to there being no lights in the area.

-The river does not just flow in one direction, numerous locations throughout the river, flow in the opposite direction. This is happening at the boat ramp.

-Divers have reported one-to-two-inch visibility under water and with the current water flow it is impossible to properly search.

-There is a lot of debris on the river bottom, causing trouble with crews scanning from above.

-This is a missing person case, not a homicide. Foul play is not suspected.

-There were no arguments at the residence prior to Ashlynn leaving the residence.

-Ashlynn left her phone at the house when she left just prior to 2:50 am.

-A search warrant was also obtained for Ashlynn’s bank accounts and they show no movement.

-We obtained Ashlynn’s phone from her mother, since it was left at the house. A search warrant was obtained so we could enter the phone but due to the iPhone being locked and the password is unknown; the FBI is currently providing help to see if they can enter the phone to see if there is anything pertinent to the case. The FBI also has the surveillance video from city hall to see if they could help with seeing more details with the video.

-Crews are still on the river every day searching.

Chief Paterak

07/02/2026

DIG Dardanelle CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:

NORTH OF UNION STREET: North 2nd Street has been OPENED to local traffic from Union Street to Cedar Steet.

The section of North 2nd Street from Cedar Street to Dardanelle Dam Road will be CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC while this section is under construction. Local traffic will retain access to homes and businesses.

Please use caution when driving through the construction zones. Businesses will remain open during construction. For any questions or concerns please call Dennis Overman at 479-857-1189. Thank you for your cooperation and patience.

ACTUALIZACIÓN DE CONSTRUCCIÓN DE DIG DARDANELLE:
AL NORTE DE UNION STREET: North 2nd Street ha sido ABIERTA al tráfico local desde Union Street hasta Cedar Street.
La sección de North 2nd Street desde Cedar Street hasta Dardanelle Dam Road estará CERRADA AL TRÁFICO DE PASO mientras esta sección esté en construcción. El tráfico local seguirá teniendo acceso a las viviendas y negocios.
Por favor, tenga precaución al conducir por las zonas de construcción. Los negocios permanecerán abiertos durante la construcción. Para cualquier pregunta o inquietud, por favor llame a Dennis Overman al 479-857-1189.
Gracias por su cooperación y paciencia.

06/29/2026

Thank you to all those involved with the search and especially to all the surrounding communities who helped emergency workers with food, drinks, and supplies. If you have any information please call Yell County Dispatch, the search will continue.

06/29/2026

Thank you to the countless businesses, people and agencies across the state who are pulling together and helping.

06/27/2026

Public Safety Reminder: from Yell County Officials

Please do not self-deploy to the Arkansas River search operation.

While we appreciate the community’s willingness to help, all personnel and resources must check in with Incident Command before entering the operational area. This ensures accountability, responder safety, and coordinated search efforts.

Uncoordinated self-deployment can create safety hazards, duplicate search efforts, and divert valuable resources away from the mission.

If you would like to assist, please check in with Incident Command at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Dardanelle.

Thank you for your understanding and support as our responders continue this challenging operation.

06/25/2026

PRESS RELEASE

DARDANELLE POLICE INVESTIGATING DISAPPEARANCE OF WOMAN AND INFANT; SEARCH ONGOING AT VETERAN'S PARK

June 25, 2026

DARDANELLE, Ark. — The Dardanelle Police Department (DPD) is investigating a case involving a missing 20year-old woman and her baby. No foul play is suspected.

On June 25, 2026, at 2:50 a.m. DPD was dispatched to a residence in reference to a possible suicidal person. Officers were told Ashlynn Bocksnick left the home with her 6-week-old baby, Lalynn Dream Williams. DPD issued an alert to area agencies with a description of the vehicle she was believed to be driving.

At 4:40 a.m. DPD officers located the vehicle parked on the boat ramp at Veteran's Park. Yell County Mounted Patrol was contacted for assistance, and the officers searched the area on foot with no luck.

Surveillance cameras in the vicinity indicate that at approximately 4 a.m., a vehicle later identified as the woman's vehicle arrived at the boat ramp. In the video, the woman was last seen walking toward the water, but it is unclear whether she was holding the baby.
Anyone with information about the missing woman should call Yell County dispatch at (479) 495-7911.

Yell County OEM, Yell County Mounted Patrol, Yell County Dive Team, Dardanelle Fire Department, Russellville Police Department, Russellville Fire Department, Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Game and Fish, and Pope County OEM responded to assist. All agencies are currently on scene, and the investigation is ongoing at this time. The Morgan Nick Foundation is also providing assistance.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available. All media inquiries should be directed to the Arkansas State Police Public Information Office.