Ark. TV Anchor Gravely Hurt After Attack

Police Say Intruder Beat And Stabbed Anchorwoman In Her Home

(CBS/AP)  A popular local TV anchorwoman who had a small part in the Bush biopic "W" was in critical condition Monday after being stabbed and beaten in her home, and police said they are investigating possible motives.

KATV anchor Anne Pressly, 26, was found about 4:30 a.m. Monday by her mother, who went to the house when her daughter didn't answer a wake-up call, Little Rock police spokesman Cassandra Davis said.

Davis said investigators are talking to Pressly's co-workers to determine whether she "has had any problems." Davis said Pressly's purse was gone and that robbery was among the possible motives being explored. Davis would not discuss specifics of what the investigation revealed.

Pressly was found unresponsive in her bed. Davis said Pressly had been beaten and stabbed severely and was in critical condition at an hospital.

Pressly appeared briefly in Oliver Stone's new movie about President Bush that opened over the weekend.

She portrays a conservative commentator who speaks favorably of President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" event on an aircraft carrier shortly after the start of the Iraq war. She won the role after being noticed by the casting director when she went to Shreveport, La., where the movie was filmed, to work on a story about it and the city's film industry.

Spokeswoman Kate Hubin for the film company Lionsgate confirmed Pressly's role but declined to comment further.

KATV's Web site notes that Pressly's most notable interview was with Vice President Dick Cheney. Traveling through an Arkansas town, she found the highway blocked in front of a hunting goods store because Cheney was inside. Pressly asked for an interview, which she conducted on the ammunition aisle.

During its 11:30 a.m. newscast, anchor Jason Pederson read a story about the attack.

"We would ask that you keep Anne in your thoughts and, especially, in your prayers," Pederson said.

Early Monday afternoon, a man answering a phone number for Pressly's mother, Patricia Cannady, said the family had no comment.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Rhodes College, Pressly was hired as a full-time producer and part-time reporter at KATV in May 2004, producing "Good Morning Arkansas" and reporting for "MidDay Arkansas" and "Saturday Daybreak," according to her bio on the station's Web site.

[Amondale]

This is a story because she''s in the media and appeared in "W" -- two favorite targets of the right-wing of the Republican party. Mews? Yes. Unexpected behavior when their candidates incite such actions? Nope.

[Amondale]

News, not mews. Sorry for the typo.

[edward1975-2009]

Takes a certain type of idiot, to turn the attack of a person, into a political statement. What a bunch of freakin morons. And they allow you fools to vote and multiply. Embarassing.

[pepina42]

Just curious; why so so many people feel compelled to inject a political statement into every comment about any news story? Do you people really believe that this horrific incident is the result of, or has any impact, whatsoever, on any political ideology? Did President Bush cause it to happen; will candidate Obama keep it from ever, ever, ever happening again? Maybe some of us should try a little harder to get a life....

[jclark7613]

This is just a sad story and a sick person would do this. It will probably be someone she knows. To the ignorant one that put race in this....what does race have to do with a women in her own home sleeping being injured by a intruder has to do with anything. I know it''s election season but please stick to the topic and not ignorance. To all the racist....you just wait until Nov. 4th.....

[robhoutx]

i wonder if she''s related to jaime pressly from my name is earl. same last name, sort of looks like her. regardless, i hope they catch the ****** and i wish her a speedy recovery.

[amurguz]

I''ve heard of cynicism, but this whole blog is nothing but a group of insensitive, racist, commentary; unfit for the bottom of a birds cage. A young woman is attacked in her home, and severely injured; have none of you the least bit of sympathy? She was probably sound asleep, when attacked, and is now fighting for her life? Are you all devoid of the human emotion of compassion? Who cares if the person who did this was orange, purple, white, black, or chartreuse, for that matter, color plays no part. Actions, such as these are about a lack of moral character, and that sorry state of affairs crosses all geo-political and socio-economic lines. Case in point, the Kennedy clans Michael Skakel; and let%u2019s not forget Orentahal James Simpson. So, please, if you''re going to attempt to be a writer, even just as a blogger, write something that makes a point about an event, tragic or otherwise. The art of writing is called %u201Cpersuasion,%u201D and it is not derived by finger pointing, name calling, or phobic mantras; of any kind. Placing "bets" on what skin color the person, or persons, who perpetrated this act, might have, is the most despicable form of vouchsafe I%u2019ve had the misfortune of reading; in quite sometime. Skin color doesn%u2019t make the person, heart and soul does; and some of you are sorely lacking either of those human traits; and more akin to anthropoids.

[achangenow]

Ouite bold to assume her attacker is African-American without knowing the crime details. FBI stats would suggest a caucasian, however.

[mumu11]

I agree with amurguz. We neither know nor care about the ethnic background of the monster who did this. We just care about seeing IT caught and punished.

[hbevis]

I wish this young lady a speedy recovery. And I hope she does not have any permanent disability because of this attack.

This type of person is all to prevalent in todays world.

[credibility2]

I hope and pray for her recovery. I also hope the low life that did this is apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I''m sure he''ll get a moronic defense counsel who will no doubt use the excuse of a criminal who had an abused upbringing, was bullied, was poor or any of the other lame excuses for this type of barbaric and uncivilized behavior. The low life doesn''t deserve to live.

[longtree-2009]

Every woman, regardless of age, living alone should have a security alarm system that is monitored. The alarm system is useless if it is not activated even when at home. Everyone should have a means of defense and be able to use it. Begin with a yapping dog, usually the small ones, and have weapons identified that you can use throughout the house, in each room. There are not enough LEO per citizen, per househol, to have good protection from the criminal mutants. In my town, there are .88 LEO per thousand residents. The national average is about 3 per thousand. Everyone should be knowledgeable about how many LEOs there are per thousand residents, in their city or town, and then prepare accordingly.

[slim1h2o]

Obviously, she woke up and surprised the intruder, whoever it was.

And that''s why she was attacked. If she had slept through it, she would have been left alone.

Maybe.........

[kennergirl]

Love the tone of some people who inject politics into every story. Its probably the only thing they know a little bit about so they''ll ride that horse until it dies.

It''s ashame that the violent crime is so out of hand. Stories like these show that you can never be too careful of your surroundings, unfortunately, even in the comfort of your own home.

[latrocinor-2009]

I am full hate and racism!

Posted by WatUsayBoy1


We know. You show it in every post.

[denn034]

All of the news reporters I''ve come across in downtown Salt Lake have sneered at and spoken gruffly to me with only a few exceptions. Things like this combined with their extreme arrogance doesn''t help matters much in that regard. I''m tempted to say that I don''t care but, no one deserves to be treated like that, any other response would negate my right to be angry at such mistreatment. Don''t get me wrong, I still think that news reporters by and large don''t deserve to call themselves decent people though.

[latrocinor-2009]

We need to turn the economy around or things will only get worse.

Posted by mortal3


I choose to not hire people because the government wants me to be their daddy.

[khadilov]

This whole site is full of sick and demented people who are selfish and very unkind. I scares me to no end that you hide behind the mask of civility, but behind the mask you spew this type of hated to other human beings online. I know there is a judgement coming for you; you who digs graves for others and gleefully watch as others fall.

My sincerely prayers go out to family of this lady. No one deserves this no matter what.

[yongamerica]

After earning her Bachelor%u2019s degree in Political Science from Rhodes College, Pressly was hired as a full-time producer and part-time reporter at KATV in May 2004,

It wasn''t her degree that got her hired in this position, she must have other invaluable assets beyond what is taught in college class rooms. What a wonderful start for someone of her age and experience.

Regardless, the criminal responsible deserves a spa vacation at that special al Qaeda treament center in Cuba.

[slim1h2o]

Obviously, she woke up and surprised the intruder, whoever it was.

And that''''s why she was attacked. If she had slept through it, she would have been left alone.

Maybe.........

[khadilov]

This whole site is full of sick and demented people who are selfish and very unkind. I scares me to no end that you hide behind the mask of civility, but behind the mask you spew this type of hated to other human beings online. I know there is a judgement coming for you; you who digs graves for others and gleefully watch as others fall.

My sincerely prayers go out to family of this lady. No one deserves this no matter what.

[cknob101]

I feel sorry for her and her family but I agree, why is this noteworthy, national news? This is more evidence of the bluring between news people and celebrity. The local news outlets especially try to establish "personal" links between viewers and news personas so you watch your "trusted source" or the "team that''s on your side" etc. It''s not new. 25 years ago, a "beloved" weatherman in my native Philadelphia was killed in a skydiving accident and the city went into a profound public mourning. I don''t get it but I guess I''m just a callous, mean-spirited person who doesn''t appreciate just how much these two dimmensional characters mean to people.

[mike18881]

All I can say is GOD Bless her and may she be ok

[usclimey]

Reading the first three pages of this tripe would be enough for me to cancel all blogs at CBS. (With a few notable excaptions) what a bunch of Neanderthals.

[sepa2]

Hope she did not go to bed drunk and let her guard down. Drinking cause more death and problems than smoking but tolerated and celebrated every where. The hypocracy is astounding

[upto1947]

Scum, that is all I read on here.

[frogprophet]

Hey d7767w,
is that your number of the beast? Republican too?

[smurfcrusher]

Poor woman. I hope she has a speedy and full recovery. My thoughts are with you.

[cattlekate]

I hope she is okay. My thoughts are with her and her family. She is so young. The crime almost sounds personal, and not a "robbery."

[lmartink]

We need more evidence. The truth will come out.

[vincan-2009]

I hope this poor woman recovers and identifies her attacker. This is horrible to happen to her or any one else. I hope they find who did this and give him the death penalty.

[ladyephesus1]

Lord, I ask that you heal her wounds and give her back life.

Amen

[ddaymichael]

Whatever happened to this poor woman...it''s a sad commentary on our times.

Having grown up in Brooklyn in the 50s, I''m old enough to remember when a woman would be judged a "bad mommy'' (at least by us kids) if she was a parent who wouldn''t let her children take sheets and pillows out to Prospect park to sleep on really hot nights.

Times change.

I hope for the best for this lady.

[ddaymichael]

Whatever happened to this poor woman...it''s a sad commentary on our times.

Having grown up in Brooklyn in the 50s, I''m old enough to remember when a woman would be judged a "bad mommy'' (at least by us kids) if she was a parent who wouldn''t let her children take sheets and pillows out to Prospect park to sleep on really hot nights.

Times change.

I hope for the best for this lady.

[searcher911]

I am always sorry to hear of a violent crime.

It was most likely just a robbery, they happen all the time, and eventually the police will get there to take evidence and write a report. Too bad that the liberal press is making it into a political issue.

Too bad she didn''t pick up a gun at the sporting goods store, she might have been able to defend herself.