Texarkana man gets life sentence without parole

He’s convicted in Christmas ’22 murder

TEXARKANA — A man charged in a Christmas morning killing was convicted of capital murder on Thursday and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Life without parole was the only possible sentence for Nathaniel Fort since the death penalty had been waived.

Fort, 21, was convicted of killing Aaron Bruce on Christmas Day in 2022 at an apartment complex on East 24th Street. Fort had accompanied his brother Tarus Walker to Bruce’s apartment because Walker was angry that Bruce had disciplined his children at a Christmas party. Bruce was dating the mother of Walker’s children, according to testimony.

Testimony and evidence revealed Bruce was shot six times. According to evidence, Walker shot Bruce first and Fort shot him after he was on the ground.

Nathaniel Fort’s attorney, Tabatha Branch, made a motion Wednesday for the capital murder charge to be dismissed, saying there was no proof of Fort being at the scene and no evidence of premeditation.

Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell argued investigators had made a case for the jury based on testimony of a detective who personally knows Fort and video of a man identified as Nathaniel Fort leaving his job at Walmart on Christmas Eve wearing the same clothes the perpetrator at Aaron Bruce’s apartment was wearing.

Circuit Judge Brent Haltom denied Branch’s motion, citing the positive identification of Fort as the perpetrator by a witness who knew him. Haltom also cited testimony from a witness who alleged that Fort shot Aaron Bruce after he was already on the ground from being shot by Walker.