LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of an El Dorado man convicted of capital murder in the death of his girlfriend's infant daughter.
The court's ruling issued Thursday upholds a Union County jury's conviction of Desmond Evans and his sentence of life without parole.
Evans argued that the lower court failed to instruct the jury on lesser offenses of first-degree or second-degree murder.
The court said Evans maintained a defense of absolute innocence that does not allow for lesser sentences to be considered. The opinion also said the question could not be ruled upon because it had not been raised with the lower court judge.
Evans was convicted in the 2011 death of 21-month-old Cheris Samuels, who died of what authorities said were "multiple strikes to her head."