Arkansas Anchorwoman Dies After Beating

Anne Pressly Found Severely Beaten Earlier This Week In Her Home; Died Later In Hospital

(AP)  An Arkansas television anchorwoman died Saturday, several days after being found beaten in her home when she didn't answer her wake-up call, hospital officials said.

Anne Pressly, 26, died at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Margaret Preston said.

In a statement released by the hospital, Pressly's parents Guy and Patti Cannady asked for privacy as they grieved their daughter's death.

"It was our hope, as was yours, that Anne would overcome the injuries inflicted upon her in the brutal attack at her home," the statement read. "We were with her in her last moments, and although our hearts are broken, we are at the same time comforted by our faith knowing that Anne is now with our heavenly father."

Pressly was beaten around the head, face and neck. She had been unable to communicate with her family or police while being kept sedated in the intensive care unit.

She was discovered Monday morning a half-hour before she was to appear on ABC affiliate KATV's "Daybreak" program. Her mother went to her home after she didn't answer her regular wake-up call.

Little Rock police have yet to identify a suspect.

Pressly was a native of Greenville, S.C., and moved with her family to Little Rock while she was in high school. She is a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn.

Pressly had a small role in the new Oliver Stone movie "W.," which was filmed in Shreveport, La. She appears briefly as 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.

[adasher1]

Sad......poor thing. I hope they find the killer...

[thisandthat1]

Senseless!

[rockpeterson]

Completely senseless!!! Why would anyone do such a thing???

[ictrep]

niceface09 -- you are an absolute moron!!!

[ritad7]

I bet a million bucks the perp will turn out to be a stalker who had been watching her for a long time. R.I.P dear Anne.

[standlee5]

tragic tragic for a young girl. She looks like my neices and dammmit these young girls need burgler alarms or some other form of protection.

[rudy654-2009]

This is tragic. I hope they catch the person. I know that the scene was made to look like a theft, but when this is done to someone in bed, the person had ulterior motives. Who knows what the motives are? The perp is still a murderer. As far as protection, I would recommend people keep at least a nice sized dog that will alert and protect them.

[zietzke-2009]

This does not look like a politically motivated crime....It was just one of hate and violence.

This beautiful women should have had a shotgun in the house...

Problem is that if she were to have used it and killed the S.O.B who broke in, she would have gone to prison for manslaughter !! It has happened !

We live in a country where the victim has gotten the shaft on so many occasions that you cannot even begin to count. I hope they catch the abomination that did this horrible crime.

My heart goes out for the family...What a tragedy !

She is now in a better place indeed......John 3:16

[noloser11]

In state where $lick Willie control state govt, for nearly 25 years before becoming Potus, and mostly Liberal at that, I highly disregard any Republican operatives behind that, lets just say the ''''alleged'''' activity around the Mena Airport in the 1980s-90''s and the ''''unsolved'''' murders of RON BROWN AND VINCE FOSTER still haven''t been solved and they''re are no limitations on ''''unsolved'''' murders, people...

[brianbwb-2009]

We can only hope that law enforcement does everything in its ability to discover and apprehend the murderer.

R.I.P., Ms. Pressly

[busyness-2009]

Very, very sad. I''m so sorry for her family.

[smurfcrusher]

How very sad. Anne''s family have suffered a terrible loss. The world grieves with them.

[noloser11]

In state where $lick Willie control state govt, for nearly 25 years before becoming Potus, and mostly Liberal at that, I highly disregard any Republican operatives behind that, lets just say the ''''alleged'''' activity around the Mena Airport in the 1980s-90''s and the ''''unsolved'''' murders of RON BROWN AND VINCE FOSTER still haven''t been solved and they''re are no limitations on ''''unsolved'''' murders, people...

[bizzybirdy]

How tragic. I thought she would make it and just read she has not. I am so sad. I pray they catch the lousy creap that did this.

[andyrobo]

I live in the Uk and I have been following this story since it broke..

I cant believe someone would could do such a thing to anyone...

Im so sorry to hear that she has died...

I hope the police ctach the killer...

[dnc4evr89]

I would like to see the P.O.S. that did this with the same injuries.......you know....eye for an eye!!!!

[longtree-2009]

there is no justice. if they catch the murderer,IF. if the murderer gets the death penalty it will be years before the murderer is executed. laci peterson''s murderer is still on death row in CA. so is the murderer of little polly klaas in the early 90s on death row in CA. both fat, well fed, reasonably happy, and very much alive. justice, nah! no such thing.

[slim1h2o]

justice, nah! no such thing.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by longtree at 08:10 AM : Oct 26, 2008


Only if you have money..............

[ann3332]

My thoughts and prayer are with the family. The one who committed this crime is nothing but a coward and dont think for a minute you get away with it. You will be caught and you be brought to justice.

[emman3]

I am lost for words to hear that Anne had died, I thought she would have made a recovery, however, it,s not for us to decide,God did what was best for her, may she rest in peace.

[jpwalsh123]

This is tragedy. Too sad for words. I didn''t realise that her injuries were that bad. The poor girl, only 26, I don''t believe in revenge deep down but i do believe in justice. I hope they catch the person who did this and that he pays dearly for taking this young girls life. I have no doubt that there will be an all out effort to catch whoever did this so deep must the feelings be in the town where she lived. May she rest in peace and what a shame for a life cut short. Where is the meaning in it all?

[mymone]

May God bless her family during this difficult time! What an unbelievably sad day!

[retrovvvisio]

Tragic news.... savage brutal attack on a beautiful intelligent woman. A man''s doing, not a shadow of a doubt. The culprit chose to do evil. He must be found and he has to pay for his evid deed.

May beautiful Ann Pressly rest in peace. I pray for her family, may they find comfort and hope in God''s love.

[mjax2008]

Our justice isn''t even close to God''s justice. "Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord". I hope this criminal gets the justice he deserves.

My prayers go out to Anne''s family. I pray the wonderful memories they have of her will help sustain them through this difficult time. I pray the authorities catch this person quickly.

I''m just so sorry. It''s so *** sad and heartbreaking.

[sepa2]

May she never come to an untimely death in her future lives.

[pirmin3]

When they catch the ba$**** that did this I hope they clamp his nut$ in a microtome and let her rip.

[ubrew12]

She was a newsperson in Arkansas who appeared in the movie W. She was beaten about the head opening weekend in an apparent robbery despite living in a wealthy neighborhood.

Just guessing, but the juxtaposition of ''W'', ''opening weekend'', ''newsperson'', and ''Arkansas'' has me pondering a nefarious motive.

[meinnv]

My thoughts and prayers are with her family as they deal with this senseless tragedy.

No form of punishment would be good enough for the P-O-S B A S T A R D (S) who did this (SPACED IT OUT SO CBS wouldn''t delete it). The death penalty would be too humane for an INHUMAN being that committed this crime. And yet nothing less would do.

May this angel rest in peace and may her family find some peace as well.

And, can we keep politics out of this, just for once? She was a young victim of a horrible crime. A horrific act that the attackers need to suffer as punishment.

[januaryair]

May the Lord bring some sort of comfort to the family and friends. Everyone who has heard this story finds sorrow and disgust in the senselessness. Please Lord hold her in your hands. Much love to the family and friends.

[rhs648]

This is very sad and my prayers go out to her family and friends. There seems to be an assunption that only a man could have done this. Some women are also capable of committing horrible crimes. Perhaps we should reserve opinion on whether a man committed this crimme until the police conclude their investigation and the culprit is caught.

[cattlekate]

This is so sad. I am just so sorry and hope the family and friends can live on with the joy and hope Anne brought them. She will always live in them and their children.

This does not seem like a random robbery - it seems personal and I surmise the police are not revealing all of the details.

[aggiekat2004]

What a shameful crime. Prayers to the family...this loss is unimaginable.

[jellolion]

just what exactly is CBS trying to suggest here? What makes this the most highly read national news story? People get killed in my city all the timne, and that doesnt make national news.

[srz25]

BLAME IT ALL ON W.

QUIT BEING SO STUPID! THERE WILL BE NO HEALTHCARE IN AMERICA! I GOT YOUR HEALTHCARE RIGHT FREAKIN'''' HERE!!:

yeah hi, do you believe a judge should go to prison for attempting to rule that attempted murder by forcible suffocation not only isn''''t a crime at all in florida, it isn''''t a tort at all in florida, in fact it''''s a medical procedure, for which priviledge i''''m forced to give the state my whole life savings?

doesn''''t that sound bad?

this is a real lawsuit, orange co. case # 2003 ca 5314. i am totally unrepresented, haven''''t been able to find a lawyer in 7 years. the judge is cynthia mackinnon, and if i could fire her i would have fired her four years ago. after all this time i still have no clue whether she is republican or democrat.

[ms1-1-1]

Anne Pressly, a morning anchor for Little Rock television station KATV, DEAD! SO WHAT! People die daily Anne Pressly received headline news for what BLONDE BLUE EYED WHITE?

I would like to sent my deepest condolences to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) no more taxes collected from dead. Now Congressional members and Senatorial members really ought to do something about that how sad no revenue intake from the DEAD? What a pitty.

[janiet3]

I live in Little Rock, and I can tell you that this has been heartbreaking for all of us.

Law enforcement so far has been holding their cards very close. But, I can tell you what has been reported. Yes, mostly it was head injuried, and from what I gather every bone in her face was broken. They found blood in a nearby park trashcan, but are not saying if it''s hers, nor if there was bloody clothing or the like discarded. "Somebody" attempted to use her credit card I believe just an hour or two after the beating at an ATM, and you and I all know that ATM''s have security cameras. Hopefully they got a great snapshot of the face that made the attempt. They certainly are not saying, if so. Perhaps somebody was sent to use the card for the perp, knowingly or not, that it was stolen during a robbery/turned murder. Otherwise, you''d think they''d easily be able to identify him/her and make an arrest - and they haven''t.

Unless something I''m unaware of has been released today, this is all that''s been made public.

Dear God, be with her family and friends. May Ann rest in peace in Your arms forever. Amen

[ritad7]

Please everyone, ignore the ignorant troll writing vile nasty comments and comparing crimes by their color. She is trying to incite and inflame just to start a race rant. A total idiot.

[janiet3]

Bless you, Rita. Good to know somebody really has a good heart!

[janiet3]

Mr/Ms Green, Mr/Ms Black, Mr/Ms Gray, or Mr/Ms Yellow, they real name is Mr/Ms Murderer. There. Does that make it any more plain for you?

[wl7bzh]

As sick as our justice system has gotten, we may have the potential for the murderer to be spun into the victim. How, I don''t know, but political correctness has been taken too far in this country.

[jghutto]

I feel that if it was a burglary they would have just killed her. For her to sustain such a facial beating I feel it was a hate crime, and probably related to her playing that small part in the movie.

[srz25]

you know, i got a wake up call from a kissimmee police officer once a few weeks ago, and he said he was going to scoop me up like the dirt i was and haul me off to jail for trying to sue his lovely city:

yeah hi, do you believe a judge should go to prison for attempting to rule that attempted murder by forcible suffocation not only isn''''''''t a crime at all in florida, it isn''''''''t a tort at all in florida, in fact it''''''''s a medical procedure, for which priviledge i''''''''m forced to give the state my whole life savings?

doesn''''''''t that sound bad?

this is a real lawsuit, orange co. case # 2003 ca 5314. i am totally unrepresented, haven''''''''t been able to find a lawyer in 7 years. the judge is cynthia mackinnon, and if i could fire her i would have fired her four years ago. after all this time i still have no clue whether she is republican or democrat.

florida is done.

[wl7bzh]

Seems like you got some kind pre-emptive political correctness of your own to sell even before anything is known.

Wierd.

Posted by CBS_Oliver at 10:15 PM : Oct 26, 2008

Or just maybe I have hit a nerve on some little quirk in your character, lifestyle, or belief system to which you are overly defensive?

Methinks thou dost protest too much.

"wierd"? Aw!-name calling and verbal taunts? You are on the defense. ; )

[luvcanines]

i was so hoping and praying she''d recover. what a waste of a bright life. i hope the person(s) that did this to her and her family is swiftly caught and imprisoned until death.

[biomegaly]

You know what I changed my mind about Obama! I think he will be better for national security and the economy!
Posted by hillaryin0I2 at 08:48 PM : Oct 26, 2008

...cant you stop thinking about the election for one minute and mourn this innocent woman! JEEZE!

...rest in peace