Steven Lawrence Manson Sr., 56, of Yellville, was taken into custody Thursday morning by Marion County deputies, eight days after a circuit judge revoked his bond and ordered him to be held without bond in a felony conspiracy-to-commit-rape case.
According to the Marion County jail roster, Manson was booked at 7:35 a.m. on August 13 and is being held on one listed charge of felony failure to comply. The roster shows no bond was set. Manson is slated to appear in Marion County Circuit Court on August 18, the same day his son, Steven Michael Manson Jr., is scheduled for a status hearing in six pending criminal cases.
The bond revocation stems from an August 5 order by Circuit Judge Andrew S. Bailey, who ruled in favor of a motion filed that day by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Russo. Russo argued that Manson violated Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 9.6 by committing a new felony while out on bond for the March case. Russo’s motion claimed law enforcement had also documented recent interstate travel by Manson to Missouri and Illinois in violation of release terms. Bailey’s order instructed the clerk to issue an arrest warrant for Manson, holding him without bond until further proceedings. The warrant was issued within the existing case, and no separate contempt or failure-to-appear charge has been filed.
The new allegations against Manson stem from a July 30 search of his residence on County Road 8054. According to an affidavit filed by Marion County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Silas Gibson, authorities seized 8.71 pounds of suspected marijuana packaged for sale and delivery. Investigators also confiscated three firearms from a safe. Manson was arrested that same day and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, three counts of possession of firearms by certain persons, and a habitual offender enhancement. Circuit Judge Johnnie Copeland set his bond for those charges at $50,000, and Manson was released later that day. They do not appear in the jail record for his current booking.
The initial case against Manson dates back to March 2023. Prosecutors allege Manson conspired to commit rape at his home, along with charges for terroristic threatening and coercion. Court filings also list a habitual offender enhancement, citing at least four prior felony convictions in Illinois. Under Arkansas law, a Class Y felony like conspiracy to commit rape carries a potential sentence of 10 to 40 years or life in prison.
The March charges follow an investigation launched after a woman reported a rape at Manson’s residence. According to the case filing, the woman told investigators that she had been sexually assaulted at the home by Manson’s son and step-granddaughter while he and another individual were outside. She alleged that Manson later expressed an intent to assault her and proposed killing her to prevent her from reporting the crime. The woman claimed she overheard Manson retrieve a knife before she fled to a neighbor’s home. She was treated at Baxter Health in Mountain Home, where a sexual assault forensic exam reportedly found injuries consistent with her account. A $25,000 bond was set in March for Manson, with a no-contact condition for the alleged victim.
Manson, his son, and step-granddaughter are charged in separate cases related to the March incident. All three were originally represented by Little Rock attorney Eugene Clifford. In late July, Clifford filed motions to withdraw from all three cases, citing conflicts of interest. Judge Bailey granted the requests, giving the defendants 30 days to hire new counsel or face possible appointment of a public defender. As of now, Manson does not have an attorney of record. His status hearing in the March case remains set for October 13.