HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Two juvenile witnesses told Hot Springs police they saw a group message on an Instagram account discussing a plan to rob 18-year-old Eain Hughes minutes before he was shot to death on Autumn Street last month, according to a search warrant filed this week in Garland County Circuit Court.
The filing offers the first public account of what led detectives to the two men now charged in Hughes’ death. James Edward Hill, 18, and Tymar David Wayne Hollins, 19, both of Hot Springs, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery, the Sentinel-Record reported. Their cases were filed under seal, and Hot Springs police confirmed the arrests but released no other details.
The search warrant, which was not sealed, states that a 14-year-old boy was also arrested Aug. 24 and told detectives he was part of the group message. Police have not publicly announced a juvenile arrest in the case.
Hughes was found with multiple gunshot wounds when officers responded to a shots-fired call at 241 Autumn St. at about 12:07 a.m. Aug. 20. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Garland County coroner.
What witnesses told detectives
In an affidavit supporting the warrant, Hot Springs Police Detective Shawn Woodall wrote that two juveniles, a 14-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, told detectives Hughes had been visiting their apartment that night. Also present, according to the affidavit, were a person identified only as J.M. and J.M.’s cousin, a 14-year-old boy.
The witnesses said Hill later arrived at the apartment to speak with Hughes and the 14-year-old.
The girl told detectives she had access to Hill’s Instagram account, which uses the username yhg_jj17, and had seen a group message there discussing plans to rob Hughes. She and the other witness said they warned Hughes not to go outside to talk with Hill and the 14-year-old because they believed he was going to be robbed.
“Hughes disregarded their warnings and walked around the corner of Apartment #26 to speak with W.P. and Hill,” Woodall wrote, using the 14-year-old’s initials.
Four days later, on Aug. 24, the 14-year-old was arrested and gave a statement in which he said he knew about the group message on Hill’s Instagram account and was part of it, according to the affidavit.
Hollins is not named in the search warrant or affidavit.
What police asked Meta for
Circuit Judge Lynn Williams signed the warrant Aug. 26. It directed Meta Platforms, Inc. to turn over subscriber and account information for the yhg_jj17 account, including linked email addresses and phone numbers, IP login history, device identifiers and linked accounts, along with identifying information for any other Instagram account used by Hill that could be tied to communications with yhg_jj17.
Detectives also sought all direct messages, message requests, deleted or archived messages, attachments, photos, videos, voice messages and metadata exchanged between the accounts from 12 a.m. Aug. 19 through 11 p.m. Aug. 21, and any records related to a robbery and murder, including records identifying anyone involved in obtaining or possessing firearms.
The warrant lists capital murder as the offense for which probable cause was found. Hill and Hollins were ultimately charged with first-degree murder.
According to the return filed with the court, Woodall executed the warrant at 3 p.m. Sept. 3 through Meta’s law enforcement portal and received 189 kilobytes of data from the yhg_jj17 account. The return was filed with the circuit clerk Sept. 8.
Prior history
Hill and Hollins are each being held on $500,000 bond. Hill lists no prior criminal history, according to court records.
Hollins pleaded guilty May 20 to felony unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle and received a 10-year suspended sentence, a $2,500 fine and $440 in court costs. That charge stemmed from a March 7, 2025, drive-by shooting in the 200 block of Garland Avenue in which Hollins reportedly fired at an 18-year-old who was not hit. An aggravated assault charge was withdrawn under the plea agreement.
The Autumn Street address where Hughes was killed was the site of another shooting six days earlier, on Aug. 14, in which an adult and a juvenile were wounded.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hot Springs Police Department at 501-321-6789.
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