A 20-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty Friday to capital murder in the December 2014 slaying of a Camden grocery-store manager.
Austin Albert Hill was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, said Phillip A. Stone, deputy prosecuting attorney for Ouachita County.
"The state is pleased that justice was served today, certainly," said Stone.
The sentencing took place Friday in Ouachita County Circuit Court after a plea agreement was reached between Stone and Hill's attorney, Rickey Hicks of Little Rock.
Stone said Circuit Judge Robin J. Carroll also sentenced Hill to life in prison on a related aggravated robbery charge, in accordance with a recommendation in the plea agreement.
Hill shot Richard Anders, 63, once in the chest with a .40-caliber Glock pistol during the robbery on Dec. 19, 2014, Camden Police Chief Boyd Woody said shortly after the homicide occurred.
Anders, the manager of Mac's Fresh Market, was shot in the store's parking lot while trying to take a deposit of about $13,000 to the bank, said Woody. Anders was transported to Ouachita County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead an hour after the shooting.
Hill was arrested two days later.
Hill used some of the stolen cash to purchase a large-screen television and a video-game system at the Camden Wal-Mart Supercenter, the police chief said. Woody's office recovered most of the remaining cash.
The day after the homicide, undercover officers observed Hill playing video games at his Camden home as if nothing had happened, the chief said.
During questioning, Hill confessed to killing Anders but showed no remorse or care in his responses to investigators, Woody said.
"He was emotionless when we arrested him," Woody said of Hill. "We told him we had a capital murder warrant for his arrest, and he said 'OK' and put his hands behind his back."
Hill escaped from the Ouachita County jail on Sept. 9 after jumping from a van that was returning him to the jail from court. He was captured five days later in Bryant, wearing nothing but a stolen jacket, socks and a pair of jail-issued boxer shorts. Police had set up checkpoints after finding a stolen 1962 Ford Galaxy in the area. The car had run out of gas on an Interstate 30 exit ramp. Hill later pleaded guilty to the automobile theft.
According to the plea agreement, Hill had four prior felony convictions. Stone said all of those crimes occurred while Hill was an escapee.
Jaquestin Anderson has been charged as an accomplice in the 2014 murder and robbery. His case is still pending, but Anderson was released to the custody of a relative on Oct. 19.
Metro on 02/13/2016