Witnesses describe interviews with Lewis that led to Realtor's body | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Arron Lewis leaves Pulaski County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, after a 14-member jury, including alternates, was seated in his trial earlier in the day. Lewis is charged in the 2014 death of real estate agent Beverly Carter, whose body was found buried at the concrete plant in Cabot where Lewis had worked.

5:50 p.m. UPDATE

Court is in recess until Thursday morning after jurors, after a 15-minute recess Wednesday afternoon, heard testimonies from six additional witnesses in the death of Arkansas real estate agent Beverly Carter.

An in-depth look at the kidnapping and killing of Beverly Carter

Jeff Allison, an investigator with the Pulaski County sheriff's office, described his initial interviews with accused killer Arron Lewis in the hopes of finding Carter alive.

After false leads that led to dead ends in finding Carter, Allison testified that Lewis ultimately led authorities to an Argos Concrete Co. in Cabot, where her body was found buried in a shallow grave.

Lewis had previously received job training at the concrete plant.

Allison was also questioned on his title as lead investigator in the case and its corresponding responsibilities for record-keeping.

The manager of the concrete plant answered questions from the defense, calling Lewis a "sharp" and "knowledgeable" student during the time Lewis took a training course at the business.

Steve Burroughs with the FBI in Little Rock also testified Wednesday, explaining the interview process that led to the discovery of Carter's body.

Two additional Pulaski County sheriff's deputies also spoke about their interactions with Lewis.

One deputy described his monitoring of Lewis' vehicle as he watched Lewis drive and ultimately overturn his vehicle at a sharp curve, requiring medical attention. Another investigator testified about his time with Lewis at the hospital.

Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

— Brandon Riddle

3:30 p.m. UPDATE

A second former investigator in the case of slain Realtor Beverly Carter took the stand Wednesday afternoon, testifying on email and phone conversations.

Michael Hendrix said, through the course of analyzing Internet provider data, investigators were able to trace an email sent from a "Steve Adams" back to Lewis. The email sent to Carter related to real estate listings, he testified.

The Google-based email account Lewis used to communicate with Carter was created about 9:39 a.m. Sept, 24, 2014, he told the court.

Court adjourned for a 15-minute recess after Hendrix's testimony. Court went back into session about 3:35 p.m.

— Brandon Riddle

2:50 p.m. UPDATE

After a court recess that lasted about an hour Wednesday afternoon, the state called its next witness to the stand in the Arron Lewis trial: a then-investigator with the Pulaski County sheriff's office who worked on the case.

Drew Evans, who now works as a special agent with the Arkansas attorney general's office, remained on the stand until about 2:48 p.m. after court re-adjourned about 1:50 p.m., answering questions from the prosecution and defense about text conversations between Realtor Beverly Carter and her accused killer Arron Lewis.

Forty-nine text messages were sent between Lewis and Carter in September 2014, Evans testified before the court.

Evans testified that the messages from Lewis originated from a "spoof" number that disguised his real phone number while Lewis used a "Steve Adams" alias.

The state also questioned Evans on the stand regarding text messages between Lewis and his wife, Crystal Lowery.

Some of those messages were "hard deleted, while others were deleted but able to be retrieved, Evans said.

— Brandon Riddle

12:40 p.m. UPDATE:

An Arkansas prosecutor told jurors that a man killed a real estate agent when a ransom plan began to fall through, though his defense attorney maintains the death was an accident.

Pulaski County Deputy Prosecutor Barbara Mariani said during her opening statement Wednesday that Arron Lewis targeted Beverly Carter.

Mariani said Lewis and his wife lured Carter to a rural home outside Little Rock and tried to demand a ransom from her husband, but when the plan started to unravel, Lewis killed Carter by wrapping her head in duct tape.

Carter was later found in a shallow grave.

Defense attorney Bill James told jurors that Carter died during a sexual tryst gone wrong, but Mariani said that's a complete fabrication.

The prosecutor noted that Lewis' wife, who has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the case, will testify about how she and Lewis went looking for a married real estate agent so they could demand a ransom from a spouse.

— The Associated Press

11:20 a.m. UPDATE:

Opening statements were underway in the capital murder trial for a man charged in the killing of a central Arkansas real estate agent.

Attorneys quickly seated a jury Tuesday in the murder trial for Arron Lewis, who is charged in the death of Beverly Carter, and opening statements began Wednesday morning.

Lewis' estranged wife, Crystal Lowery, previously pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the case and is expected to testify as a prosecution witness. She is serving a 30-year prison sentence in the case.

Carter disappeared in September 2014 after telling her husband she was going to show a house in a rural area near Little Rock.

— The Associated Press

EARLIER:

Opening statements are planned for Wednesday morning in the trial for an Arkansas man accused of kidnapping and killing a real estate agent.

Arron Lewis is charged with capital murder and kidnapping in the 2014 death of Beverly Carter, who disappeared after telling her husband she was going to show a house in a rural area of Scott, which is about 15 miles east of Little Rock. Her body was found days later in a shallow grave at a concrete plant where Lewis had previously worked.

Attorneys were able to quickly pick a jury Tuesday in the case. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

Prosecutors allege that Lewis killed Carter after arranging the house showing. But a judge has cited missteps from law enforcement and barred much evidence from being introduced at trial — including duct tape and pieces of Carter's hair found in the trunk of Lewis' car.

— The Associated Press

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