Man pleads not guilty to capital murder
A Garfield man pleaded not guilty Wednesday, Sept. 11, to a murder charge in the death of a 2-year-old girl.
Joshua Lee Anderson, 25, is charged with capital murder in the death of Sephylia Fuls, who prosecutors say died of blunt force trauma Sept. 4, 2018.
Anderson was the boyfriend of Sephylia’s mother.
He was arraigned before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green.
Springdale police were called at 8:44 p.m. Sept. 4, 2018, to the Chapel Ridge Apartments by the Fire Department, according to a police statement after the initial report of the girl’s death. The Fire Department
was called because the child was unresponsive.
She was pronounced dead at Northwest Medical Center-Springdale.
The child’s mother, Veronica McCoy, told police she returned to the apartment from a trip to a convenience store and found Anderson holding Sephylia’s 5-year-old brother and accusing the boy of hitting her, according to the affidavit.
Anderson told investigators a different story, including the brother pushed the girl, according to the affidavit. Sephylia’s two brothers — the other was 3 years old — were interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County. Those interviews implicated Anderson, according to the affidavit.
A child abuse specialist pediatrician at Arkansas Children’s Hospital determined the girl died as a result of physical abuse, according to the affidavit.
Anderson, who was arrested Aug. 19 for the killing, had already been charged with aggravated assault, battery, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental operations in connection with a separate incident earlier this year.
He was arrested Jan. 29 after a Rogers police officer went to the Ranch-O-Tel Motel at 1805 S. Eighth St., according to court documents. A man told the officer he had been chased by another man with a machete, according to court documents. Police said they determined Anderson was the man with the machete.
An omnibus hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 29 in the murder case.
Kent McLemore and Joel Huggins were appointed to represent Anderson.
Anderson is being held without bond in the Benton County Jail.