Goddaughter mourning AR woman found dead inside plastic bin

Mike Suriani
·2 min read

ST. FRANCIS COUNTY, Ark.— For the first time since her discovery, the goddaughter of 42-year-old Troy Strope is speaking out about the woman and her tragic death.

Strope’s body was discovered in a storage tote off St. Francis County Road 731 on February 20. So far, no one has been charged with the murder.

“I have faith that justice will be served. She’s walking with us right now. I know,” said Ahlexyas Parham

Parham says her godmother’s horrible death won’t overshadow who she really was.

“She was full of life, love, and laughter. She didn’t care what people thought about her. I don’t think a lot of people realized it but every person she came across in her life, she taught them something,” she said.

Parham says it wasn’t unusual for her godmother to drop off the radar every now and then.

“If she didn’t want to talk, it would only be for a couple of days and she’d be right back with us. So we knew it was unusual, but in everyday life, people don’t think about things like that, until things happen,” said Parham.

But family members say the woman had not been seen for a month when the gruesome discovery was made.

Person of interest in case of woman found dead in plastic bin

“Honestly, when the tote was found, none of us wanted to accept or even think of the possibility,” said Parham.

She didn’t want to talk about the investigation into her godmother’s death or the fact that St. Francis County deputies searched a Forrest City house Thursday, finding forensic evidence possibly linked to the murder and a possible person of interest.

“We questioned what any normal person would question. Why, where, when, what, how? As far as details, I really don’t want to have to go back into it,” said Parham.

Parham says she refuses to visit the small memorial that marks the spot where Strope was found.

“I’m not here for that. I’m here to rejoice and remember who she was and who she will always be to the people that she loved,” she said.

A memorial service for Troy Strope will be held Saturday in Colt, Ark.

If you have any information regarding this case, call the St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office at 870-633-2611, or the Forrest City Police Department at 870-633-3434.

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