Arkansan charged with capital murder in grandparents' killings; prosecutor seeking death penalty

A prosecutor said Tuesday he will seek the death penalty against a 25-year-old Arkansan charged in the deaths of his grandparents earlier this month.

Nicholaus David Patterson is accused of killing Ricky and Rita Bozwell, both 66, on July 10 in their Pocahontas home.

The Bozwells were reported missing July 13 and found a day later in an advanced state of decomposition at their home in the 400 block of Sue Lane, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.

Authorities questioned Patterson on July 17, and he confessed to the killings, according to a news release from the office of Henry Boyce, the prosecuting attorney for the state's Third Judicial District.

Patterson was charged with two counts of capital murder Tuesday in Randolph County Circuit Court, the release states. His attorney, Chris Nebben of Little Rock, entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.

The Pocahontas resident is being held without bail at the Randolph County jail, Boyce's office said. His trial is set for Nov. 5.

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