JONESBORO - Two men appeared Tuesday in Circuit Court of Union County in Jonesboro on charges related to the beating of two women last week at First Baptist Church in Anna.

Willis E. Bates, 45, and Jared Garver, 23, both of Anna, were separately brought before Circuit Judge Mark Boie on Tuesday morn-ing.

Bates has been charged with several felonies from the Sept. 28 incident, including four counts of attempted murder, one count of burglary at a place of worship, two counts of theft and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Bates did not speak during the arraignment; he only shook his head to answer the judge. His bond was set at $1 million.

Garver faces charges including obstruction of justice and possession of a firearm by a felon. The obstruction of justice charge stated that Garver knowingly misinformed police on the whereabouts of Bates while harboring him in his house's basement at 213 E. Chestnut St. in Anna. His bond is set at $10,000.

The involved firearm was described in both arraignments as a Lorcin .22-caliber handgun, but it is unclear whether the gun was used in the attack at the church.

Neither of the men has yet entered pleas, and preliminary hearings are set for late October. Bates' hearing date was set for Oct. 27 and Garver's was set for Oct. 22. Both men are being held at Tri-County Detention Center in Ullin.

Anna Police Chief Dale Foster said Bates has not confessed to any of the charges.

"I'm hoping that this is our guy," Foster said. "I'm pretty confident that it is, and he has his day in court."

The victims of the attack, Mary Shepard, 69, and Leona Mount, 76, are still recovering from their injuries, according to updates on the church's Web site. Shepard is talking of coming back to work as a secretary at the church and Mount is scheduled to have surgery Thursday.

Pastor Tony Foeller said Tuesday that First Baptist Church will continue to help the victims' families and pray for those involved.

"Our commitment is the same today as it was a week ago, to be a resource to the families," Foeller said. "We just pray that justice will be served."

thomas.barker@thesouthern.com

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