Justice, reopened

Court says killer gets new chance at sentencing

We have a tremendous amount of respect for the concept of due process. Around the world, one can see egregious human rights violations by judicial systems that presume guilt and, in the process, deliver punishment made all the more in- humane because it’s carried out against people whose guilt is, at best, in doubt.

In Washington County, there’s never been a shred of doubt about the guilt of Christopher Segerstrom, who was 15 years old in 1986 when he bludgeoned 4-year-old Barbara Thompson to death with a rock after promising to help her search for butterflies.

He’s now 45 years old. Barbara would have been about 34, had she been given the chance.

The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled the other day that Segerstrom should get another day in court, not to determine guilt or innocence, but to have an opportunity to argue the terms of his prison sentence by presenting evidence and testimony in his favor.

This is perhaps odd given the fact Segerstrom was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole back in 1987. But he was a teenager. The courts in recent years have overturned the notion that justice is served by sentencing minors to prison with no chance of parole. In the abstract, it’s an entirely understandable perspective. We as a society generally want to believe younger people who commit crimes have a better chance at one day moving past their criminal act, and the courts have required states to allow for that possibility.

Arkansas changed its law to meet the court standards, which in turn created a need to resentence those convicted when they were young. The Supreme Court’s latest finding said Segerstrom must get his day in court, where the sentencing options today will be 10 to 40 years or life. He was originally denied parole in 2017. Now, he gets to argue his sentence anew.

As with every step of the way, we’re heartbroken that those who lost young Barbara to such violence must bear the burden of a judicial system that, yes, sometimes seems to confirm public concerns that it tilts too far in favor of the accused.

Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett says he believes Segerstrom cannot be rehabilitated and remains a danger to society. Count us among those who believe him.

As difficult as it is, this has to play out in our courts. What once seemed settled, legally speaking, now isn’t, and that’s a scary proposition given the brutality of the violence Segerstrom committed on this young girl and the community.

We grieve anew for the family. And we hope our faith in the state’s judicial system will not be in vain.