Jordanne Drinkwater was remembered as kind and deeply missed after the March 31 stabbing.
CONWAY, Ark. — Jordanne Drinkwater was working a regular late-night shift at a Conway Walmart when police said a stranger stabbed her to death inside the store March 31.
Drinkwater, 32, became the center of a homicide case that stunned coworkers, friends and local residents. Police arrested Zeddrick Ross, 37, and said the two did not know each other. Investigators said they had found no known interaction between them before the attack, leaving the killing under review as an apparently random act of violence.
People who knew Drinkwater described her as more than a name in a police report. Friends said she went by Puff and had a way of helping others through hard moments. Sam Slaughter, who said she had known Drinkwater for nearly a decade, told a local station that she did not believe the first message she received about the killing. “It’s not Jordan, not Puff, right?” Slaughter said as she recalled the moment. She said Drinkwater helped her stay sober and change the way she viewed the world.
The attack happened at the Walmart on Skyline Drive shortly before 11 p.m., police said. Officers were sent to the store at about 10:58 p.m. for a report that a man was stabbing a female employee. When officers arrived, they found Ross still armed with a knife, police said. They ordered him to drop the weapon. Police said he refused and moved toward officers, leading one officer to fire once and another to use a Taser. Ross was arrested, and police said he was not apparently struck by the gunfire.
Drinkwater was treated by officers and emergency medical workers inside the store, but police said she died at the scene. No other victims were reported. Police said Ross was not a Walmart employee. Investigators have not reported any prior dispute, relationship or contact between Ross and Drinkwater. The killing took place in a store that many Conway residents use for late-night shopping, daily supplies and work, making the public setting part of why the case spread quickly across central Arkansas.
Walmart said in a statement that it was heartbroken by what happened at the Conway store and was focused on taking care of associates while helping law enforcement. The company said workers could use mental health support through its employee assistance services. Police said the store was part of an active crime scene after the stabbing, with evidence collection, witness interviews and officer reports forming the early record of the case. Investigators have not released full surveillance details.
The motive remained under review. Police said Ross later told a detective that he believed he was trying to kill a demon that had been following him. According to accounts of the affidavit, he said he realized after the stabbing that Drinkwater was not the figure he believed he had seen. Investigators also said Ross told police he had taken the knife earlier and went to the store seeking another weapon. Those statements have not ended the inquiry into his actions, his state of mind or the final charging decisions.
The case also led to a standard review of the police response because one officer fired a weapon during the confrontation. Police said the shot did not hit Ross, and another officer’s Taser ended the standoff. Ross was taken to the Faulkner County Detention Center. The officer who fired was placed on administrative leave, a step often taken after a shooting by police, even when no one is struck.
For those who knew Drinkwater, the court case is only one part of what remains. Slaughter said her friend was “an amazing human being” and said she did not understand why Drinkwater was killed. Friends and coworkers were left to grieve a woman who, police said, had simply been working when the attack began.
Currently, Ross remains held as investigators continued building the case. The next stage is expected to come through Faulkner County court filings and prosecutor review of the police evidence.
Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.