Judge reschedules hearing for killer of Bentonville girl

BENTONVILLE — A convicted killer and rapist on death row will have to wait longer for a judge to determine whether he received effective legal representation at his trial.

Zachary Holly, 37, was convicted in

2015 of capital murder, kidnapping, rape and residential burglary. He was sentenced to death, two life terms and 20 years.

A jury found Holly guilty of killing 6-year-old Jersey Bridgeman, who lived next door. Holly sometimes baby-sat Jersey and her younger sister, according to court documents.

Holly is seeking to have his conviction and sentences vacated.

He filed a Rule 37 petition, which is a claim he received ineffective assistance from his attorneys.

Prosecutors have filed a response asking the judge to dismiss Holly’s petition.

The hearing on the issue was set to begin Monday morning in Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren’s court.

Karren, however, granted a defense motion to reschedule the hearing.

The hearing is now scheduled to begin March 6 and is expected to last more than a week.

Lee Short, one of Holly’s attorneys, asked the judge if expert witnesses could testify by video if prosecutors agreed with it. Karren said he’s not only agreeable to it, but would encourage expert witnesses to testify by video.

Holly, who’s being held on death row at Varner Supermax unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, appeared in court by video.

Holly claims his attorneys didn’t seek to exclude some evidence, conducted an ineffective jury selection and failed to investigate and present evidence related to his mental-health issues.

Jersey’s nude body was found Nov. 20, 2012, in the bedroom closet of an abandoned house next to Holly’s home on Southeast A Street in Bentonville. She had been strangled with her pajama bottoms.

Holly later confessed to killing the child and a recording of the confession was played for jurors. Prosecutors also presented DNA evidence connecting Holly to the crime.

Holly