LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A jury has convicted a man of capital murder in the death of an Arkansas television anchorwoman beaten so badly her face was shattered.
The panel must now decide whether 29-year-old Curtis Lavelle Vance should be executed for the crime or should spend the rest of his life in prison. The jury also convicted him of rape and burglary charges.
Prosecution witnesses said DNA evidence linked Vance to Anne Pressly’s death and to a separate rape case in which he has pleaded not guilty. The defense had said police duped Vance into confessing and giving officers a DNA sample to compare with evidence in the case.
Pressly never regained consciousness and died five days after the Oct. 20, 2008, attack at her home.