State Digest

Arkansas woman charged in fatal beating of her grandmother

BENTONVILLE (AP) — A northwest Arkansas woman has been arrested on a capital murder warrant in the hammer beating death of her 81-year-old grandmother.

A Benton County Circuity Court judge set a $750,000 bond Wednesday after finding probable cause to hold 26-year-old Andrea Lea Wilson pending the filing of a formal charge.

The defense attorney for Wilson hasn't returned a phone call seeking comment.

Wilson is suspected in the death of Ruby Ross of Pea Ridge, whose body was found May 16 in bed in her home.

An affidavit in the case says an autopsy found that Ross was struck at least four times in the head with a hammer and that a bloody hammer was found on her property.

Arkansas court sets new sentencing hearing for young killer

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court says a man sentenced to life in prison for a capital murder committed when he was a teenager deserves a new sentencing hearing.

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court said sending juvenile offenders to prison forever was a cruel punishment. Arkansas legislators have since made such inmates eligible for parole after 30 years, but Derrick Harris says Arkansas justices had ruled in another case that penalties for Class Y felonies should apply: they're as low as 10 years.

Justices ruled Thursday that the Legislature's decision to make inmates eligible for parole after 30 years cannot be applied retroactively and ordered a new sentencing hearing for Harris, who was convicted in Drew County.

Two justices dissented. Justice Shawn Womack said Thursday's decision "likely opened the prison doors."