An Arkansas man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to causing a vehicle to roll over, killing a woman as she slept in a tent.
James Erby Lingo, 30, of Hot Springs pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter, reduced from a charge of first-degree murder, as well as counts of theft by receiving and theft of property, the Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs reported.
Lingo was sentenced Monday in Garland County Circuit Court to prison terms of 10 years, 10 years and five years on the charges, respectively.
The Garland County sheriff’s office said it responded shortly after midnight May 10, 2016, to a wooded area in the 2700 block of East Grand Avenue.
At the scene, 32-year-old Aubrey Gene Kyzer told authorities that he was camping with his girlfriend, 44-year-old Gina Tonette Thomas, when two people in a white pickup entered the area and pulled behind his Kia Rio.
Kyzer said he went outside to talk to the two as Thomas stayed in the tent, adding that he was scared for her safety because the pickup had passed by the campsite numerous times earlier that day.
After an argument, the pickup, driven by Lingo, accelerated toward Kyzer’s car, causing it to hit the tent and roll over Thomas, according to the newspaper.
Click here to read the full story in today's Sentinel-Record and read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
