Death Penalty Weighed for Anchor's Killer

Anne Pressly's Best Friend Tells "Early Show" That Would Be Fine, but So Would Life in Prison without Parole

(CBS/AP)  A jury that convicted a man of capital murder in the beating death of an Arkansas TV anchorwoman was to weigh Thursday whether to impose the death penalty.

Jurors found Curtis Lavelle Vance guilty Wednesday in an assault on KATV host Anne Pressly at her Little Rock bungalow on Oct. 20, 2008. The attack shattered her face and sent her into a coma. Pressly never regained consciousness and died five days later. She was 26.

Vance, 29, of Marianna, also was convicted of residential burglary along with rape and theft of property.

Jurors deciding on his penalty could also sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. If the jury cannot settle on a penalty, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza must impose the life sentence.

Pressly's best friend, Melissa Dunbar-Gates, of CBS affiliate KTHV-TV, was with her during her last hours of life and was at the trial every day. She told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Thursday she'd like to see and Pressly's family "absolutely want the maximum (sentence) under this (situation) here in Arkansas, which is the death penalty. The other option is life without parole, and, honestly - either one. I just know he's behind bars. He's never going to hit the streets again. He's never gonna prey on another woman, and that Anne stopped him. Because she fought (Vance, hard, during the attack), she stopped him."

Prosecution witnesses said DNA evidence linked Vance to Pressly's death and to a separate rape case in which he has pleaded not guilty. The defense has said police duped Vance into confessing and giving officers a DNA sample to compare with evidence in the case.

During the penalty phase that began Wednesday, Pressly's mother, Patti Cannady, said that after the death of her only child she ripped up many family photos because she didn't have anyone to give them to.

"Oh, Lord Jesus, how I wish it were me and not Anne," Cannady said.

A lawyer for the state Department of Human Services read from agency documents that revealed a troubled youth for Vance. One of Vance's aunts also testified that Vance's mother had been addicted to crack and lived for a time in a Memphis, Tenn., homeless shelter after asking her mother to raise her children.

As Vance left the courthouse, family members shouted "Love ya, Lavelle!" and he said "Love you!"

Then he shouted, "It's a corrupted system!"

[pluckerup]

Too bad they did away with public hangings.

[dellastreet-2009]

I totally agree! Our taxes go up, and much is spent on scumbags like this, subhumans, sociopaths, etc. I believe public hangings would be helpful and curtail others, not all of course.

[theybf09]

Enough with death. Killing Curtis won't bring Anne back. Let God be his vengeance. He should do time.

[Ceres6]

For a despicable crime as the one against Ms. Anne Pressly, we should have only two options for punishment: death by injection or death by electrocution. It is also evident that the family members of Curtis Lavelle Vance are also 100% scum.

[mitdgreenb]

I do not understand why the alternative to the death penalty is "life, without parole". The latter costs money year after year to house, feed, and secure the prisoner (not to mention healthcare) while the former is a one-time expense. Note, I am not discussing the merits of this case specifically, just a system where one alternative has a much lower cost on society than the other.

I also firmly disagree with the "bad childhood" defense as a means of getting a reduced sentence. It's a valid point to make during trial... that the jury should consider the mercy of a conviction on a lesser offense... but post conviction, we need to assume that the jury has already considered this and let it be. We cannot have a civil society if we excuse criminal acts such as seems to be the case here.

[SevenAngryFreds]

Executions are wonderful. Great entertainment value. Plenty of people would have paid money to witness the DC sniper being put down earlier this week.

[stillunbanable]

His actions when he lost control greatly resemble what happens when police lose control and start clubbing and tasering suspects to death. Not a whole lot of difference.

[2012EOD]

Lost control. Not a whole lot of difference! How do you sleep?

[averjane]

The only difference is some deserve it and some don't!

[PaGuy1960]

you're an idiot

[rbichamp]

This guy deserves the death penalty! Plain and simple!

Whatever happened with his childhood is irrelevant. It's no excuse for his crimes.

[ellensmithee]

You mean to tell me this guy bashed her head in and then raped her? He raped a woman with her head and brain in splitters? Give him the death penalty fast! You can't kill this sick animal fast enough!

[2012EOD]

I wonder, if the woman were black and the man white that killed her, would it be classified as a hate crime. And if so, why not now?

[stillunbanable]

Good point. What if it were a man who just hates women?

[PaGuy1960]

Well Let's ask Sharpton? Oh that's right he's nowhere to be found... I think it's called a one way street.