CONWAY — A judge Tuesday agreed to let the members of the public and the news media attend a juvenile-transfer hearing for the oldest of four teenagers charged with killing a Conway couple.
Hunter Drexler, now 19, of Clinton is seeking to have his capital-murder case moved to juvenile court, where he likely would face a less-severe sentence than he would if he is convicted as an adult.
Drexler was 17 when Robert and Patricia Cogdell, both 66, were shot to death July 21, 2015. They had been the legal guardians since 2010 of one of the accused teenagers — Justin Staton, now 15. Staton and Connor Atchley, 18, of Greenbrier have pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges and been sentenced to prison. The fourth defendant, Anastasia Roberts, 18, of Conway, awaits trial.
Circuit Judge Troy Braswell had ruled late Monday that Drexler's four-day hearing would be closed. But this morning, a few members of the public and the news media were allowed inside the Faulkner County courtroom.
Defense attorney Patrick Benca had successfully requested that his juvenile-transfer motion be sealed, and Benca said the judge had assumed the motion also was aimed at keeping the hearing closed. Benca said he wanted it open, though.
A veteran Conway police officer testified Tuesday about finding the bodies of the Cogdells in a woody area near the couple's home a day after the shootings.
Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.