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Police find body of missing Harding graduate, husband arrested


The two-day search for a missing 26-year-old woman from Bartlett, Tenn., ended on a tragic note May 2, with the recovery of her body from an area river and the arrest of her husband.
Micah Denise Rine Pate, a 2006 graduate of the College of Nursing at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., was reported missing on April 30 by her husband, Thomas Pate, 26. Pate told police that his wife went running, and he became concerned when she didn’t return after two hours.
Neighbors, friends and others searched the area for the private clinic nurse for nearly 48 hours before police say Thomas Pate led investigators to the Loosahatchie River Bottoms, where her body was found.
Thomas Pate was arrested and charged May 2 with second-degree murder. He is expected to appear in court within the next few days.
An e-mail distributed to the Harding community on Saturday requested prayers for the Rine family, including parents Dennis and Terri Rine. Dennis Rine teaches, serves as guidance counselor and baseball coach at Harding Academy in Searcy and Terri Rine taught at Harding University for many years.
Visitation with the family will be from 6-8 p.m. May 4 in the Heritage Lobby at Harding University. A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. on May 5 in the Harris Gym at Harding Academy.
Memorials may be made to the Harding Academy Wildcat Trust Fund. E-mails of condolence may be sent to [email protected] and [email protected].

Filed under: Staff Reports Top Stories

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