FAYETTEVILLE -- A man pleaded guilty Tuesday in Madison County Circuit Court to a second-degree murder charge related to a February beating death.
Brandon Boling, 20, of the Alabam township in Madison County was sentenced to 20 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction with 10 years suspended.
Boling was charged in the Feb. 20 beating death of Michael Wayne Fawcett, 46, of Huntsville. The sheriff 's office responded to a medical call, and officers were sent to a residence in the Alabam area, about 5 miles northeast of Huntsville.
At the home, officers found Fawcett had been "severely beaten," according to a news release from Sgt. Russell Alberts. Fawcett was pronounced dead at Northwest Medical Center-Springdale.
Boling said Fawcett kissed him and tried to grope him and Boling snapped, Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett said.
"Since it was just the two of them there, I don't have anything to dispute that," Durrett said.
Durrett said Boling's explanation would be consistent with the proof required for a second-degree murder conviction.
Metro on 11/25/2015