A Service of UA Little Rock
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Jury Seated To Hear Case In Real Estate Agent's Murder

Arron Lewis
KATV, Channel 7 News

A jury has been seated in the trial of a man accused of killing an Arkansas real estate agent after luring her to a rural home outside Little Rock. Opening statements are set to begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

12 jurors and two alternates will hear the case against Arron Lewis, who has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and kidnapping in the death of 49-year-old Beverly Carter.

During questioning of potential jurors Tuesday, some said they had already formed an opinion, with Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herbert Wright asking whether they could set aside those opinions and make a ruling based on arguments and evidence presented in court.

The judge ended the day instructing jurors not to watch television news or read a newspaper to avoid being exposed to coverage of the trial.

Beverly Carter
Credit Pulaski County Sheriff's Office
Slain real estate agent Beverly Carter.

Carter disappeared in September 2014, after telling her husband she was going to show a house. Her body was found days later in a shallow grave at a concrete plant where Lewis had previously worked.

Investigators say emails and phone records led them to Lewis and his estranged wife, Crystal Lowery. But citing missteps by investigators, the judge has blocked key evidence found at Lewis' home and vehicle, including pieces of Carter's hair.

Prosecutors will be allowed to use testimony from Lowery, including about the alleged plan to find a married real estate agent so they could demand a ransom.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Related Content