CONWAY - The state plans to pursue the death penalty for a Morrilton man if he is convicted of capital murder in a June 16 shooting outside a Conway motel, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland said after a pretrial hearing Wednesday that his office also has filed a motion notifying Faulkner County Circuit Court of what the prosecutor believes are aggravating circumstances in the case against Lee Foster, who is charged in the June 16 shooting death of Quenton Alexander, 23.
That motion, filed earlier this month, said Foster, “in the commission of capital murder, knowingly created a great risk of death to persons other than the victim in the same criminal episode.”
Foster, 27, is also charged with first-degree battery in the wounding of a second man outside Motel 6 at 1105 Skyline Drive. Foster’s trial is not expected to take place until sometime next year.
The prosecutor’s office also has charged Sierra Nicole Cook, 19, of Morrilton with capital murder in Alexander’s death. Hiland said his office plans to waive the death penalty in Cook’s case.
Police have said they think Cook and Foster were romantically involved. Both defendants have pleaded innocent.
Alexander was shot while sitting in a car in the motel parking lot. Police said they think the other man was shot because he saw Foster at the crime scene.
Foster and Alexander were related, Hiland has said.
Under Arkansas law, capital murder carries a sentence of death or life in prison without parole.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 10/31/2013