Man admits killing, draws 40-year term

A man awaiting trial in Franklin County Circuit Court on a first- degree murder charge in the stabbing death of another man last year has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charge, according to Prosecutor David Gibbons.

Lester Ballinger, 29, of Denning was accused of fatally slashing and robbing 23-year-old Justin Broomfield of Altus on Sept. 6 on a road in the Denning community south of Altus.

An affidavit for Ballinger’s arrest after the slaying stated DNA testing at the state Crime Laboratory determined blood found on Ballinger’s boots, pants and shirt was Broomfield’s.

An Arkansas State Police investigator found Broomfield face down on Cherry Street in Denning with a large cut in his neck, which the Crime Lab determined was the cause of his death, the affidavit said. There was no wallet with the body, and one of the pockets of Broomfield’s jeans was partially turned out, according to the affidavit.

The investigator learned Broomfield spent the evening at Tommy Dean’s Bar in Altus, the affidavit said. The bar’s surveillance video recording showed Broomfield leaving the bar about 10:30 p.m. Sept. 6 with Ballinger, according to the affidavit.

Ballinger was questioned the next day and said he and Broomfield left the bar and went to a convenience store to get Broomfield a ride home and use the ATM to get money from Broomfield’s bank account, according to the affidavit. They were unsuccessful on both counts.

In another interview days later, Ballinger said he and Broomfield walked to a home in Denning to buy drugs after leaving the bar, the affidavit said. He couldn’t remember the address but pointed out the location on a map, according to the affidavit.

When a deputy went to the address, the residents, who were just moving in, said no one was at the address Sept. 6 and they didn’t know Ballinger, according to the affidavit.