The defense attorney for a man accused a killing a real estate agent last year in Pulaski County on Monday asked a judge to block certain evidence and not to allow testimony from the defendant's estranged wife.
Arron Lewis, who faces capital murder and kidnapping charges in the 2014 death of Beverly Carter, was back in court Monday in his final scheduled appearance before his trial next year.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor John Johnson told Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herb Wright that the state will present Lewis' criminal record, which he said includes scams and theft, to present a motive for Carter's killing.
"He committed these other crimes for money; his motive in killing Beverly Carter was for money," Johnson said.
Lewis' defense team argued that the search warrants used to obtain some evidence in the case, including rope and green duct tape from a car driven by Lewis, were overly broad based on what investigators knew at the time. Prosecutors said at the beginning of the hearing that they did not plan to submit as evidence a laptop and thumb drive seized from the Lewises' home.
Several investigators with the Pulaski County sheriff's office testified that they began surveillance on Lewis after texts and calls to Carter were connected to a messaging app on the phone of Lewis' wife.
Lewis later crashed his car while police followed him from his home and left the hospital before he was arrested, investigators testified.
The defense for Lewis was also expected to argue against allowing Lewis' wife, Crystal Lowery, to testify against him.
Lowery, who has filed for divorce from Lewis, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison as part of a plea deal that called for her to take the stand at Lewis' trial.
Court went into recess around 1:30 p.m. The hearing was slated to continue beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Check back with ArkansasOnline for updates and read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.