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Department of Human Services briefs joint committee on death of resident at Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center
Summary
At a May 6 joint meeting, Department of Human Services officials updated lawmakers on the death of resident Zachary Moore at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center in Warren and described facility staffing and resident structure; Representative Denise Jones Ennett said the resident's mother reported a lack of communication with DHS.
At a joint meeting of the Arkansas Senate and House Committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on May 6, 2026, Department of Human Services officials briefed lawmakers on the death of a resident, Zachary Moore, at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center in Warren and provided an update on the status of the case.
Lori McDonald, chief of staff for the Department of Human Services, Jennifer Brezée, director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services at DHS, and Melissa Weatherton, director of Specialty Medicaid Services, told the committee they had given an overview of the incident, described the Human Development Center’s organizational structure, and reviewed staffing and resident populations. The presenters updated the committee on the current status of the case; the transcript does not record further detail on investigative findings.
Representative Denise Jones Ennett said the resident’s mother, Angela Stephens, reported a lack of communication between the family and DHS regarding the incident. The transcript records Ennett’s comment but does not include a direct response from DHS officials in that segment.
Earlier in the meeting Representative David Ray moved to approve the committee’s Oct. 8, 2025 meeting minutes; Representative Jeremy Wooldridge seconded and “the motion carried,” with no vote tally provided in the transcript. With no other business, the meeting adjourned at 12:35 PM.
The committee heard the DHS briefing as an informational item; no formal recommendations or further actions were recorded in the transcript provided.
