Arkansas Jury Chooses Life Sentence in TV Anchor Death
Curtis Lavelle Vance, age twenty-nine, escaped a death sentence and instead is currently facing life in prison without parole for the rape, robbery, and murder of Anne Pressly. The twenty-six-year-old anchor was attacked in her home in Little Rock on October 20th, 2008. She did not regain consciousness, and died five days later. Vance was reportedly in the neighborhood to steal laptop computers.
Vance’s attorneys portrayed him as an emotionally disturbed man who had a rough upbringing, with a mother addicted to crack cocaine. The jury deliberated for less than three hours on Thursday before they recommended that Vance serve a sentence of life in prison without parole. He was also sentenced to a life sentence for rape, twenty years for burglary, and ten years for theft.
Vance’s mother testified that she had been abusive to him. Vance’s doctor also testified, saying he showed signs of paranoia. Pressly’s mother, Patti Cannady, gave a testimony in which she described what it was like to lose her only child. Vance showed no emotion while the sentence was read, though Cannady mouthed “It’s okay” to the prosecutors, nodded, and placed her hands over her hearts.
Pressly was a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She worked as an anchor on KATV’s “Daybreak” program, and also appeared briefly in Oliver Stone’s President George W. Bush biopic “W.”
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.