Murder conviction upheld for Dardanelle man

The Arkansas Supreme Court has affirmed the conviction of a Dardanelle man sentenced to life in prison for the death of his mother.

Tommy Bowden was convicted of first-degree murder for the January 2012 death of his mother, 71-year-old Julie Richardson. Prosecutors alleged that Bowden used a shovel to beat his mother to death.

Bowden appealed his conviction, arguing that a judge shouldn't have denied a defense request to allow testimony from a psychiatrist about Bowden's mental state. Bowden's appeal says the testimony could have been used to convince a jury to convict Bowden of a lesser crime, such as manslaughter.

On Thursday, the high court disagreed and upheld Bowden's conviction.

Upcoming Events