GUILTY AR - Beverly Carter, 49, Little Rock, 25 Sep 2014 - # 8

[NWLady]

"Whether your client wants it or not, it's up to you," the judge told Lewis' attorney when the lawyer said his client does not want to submit to an examination.

Lewis will be tested to see whether he is competent to assist his lawyer and whether he was suffering from mental illness or from brain damage when Carter was killed in September.

The process of scheduling and undergoing such an evaluation, which requires doctors to interview the defendant and possibly his friends, relatives and even prison guards who monitor him, plus review his criminal and medical files, typically takes four to six months but could be longer.Mental evaluations are a common procedure in murder cases, with most defendants cleared to stand trial. A finding of mental illness or brain damage does not automatically preclude a defendant from standing trial.

But determining whether the defendant is competent can take even longer if his lawyer decides to dispute a State Hospital finding that the defendant is fit for trial.

The judge set a Feb. 26 hearing for a report on the progress of the process.

Lewis has an 11-year-old criminal record with arrests in six states, including Arkansas, and convictions for robbery, transporting stolen vehicles and theft. But there's no indication he's ever been found to be mentally ill in any of those cases. He has been ordered to undergo counseling for drug abuse and mental health before, court records show. The psychological counseling was a requirement of his 2007 conviction for a federal probation violation.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/dec/04/suspect-to-get-mental-test-20141204/

So, AL DOES have a past history of drug abuse?! Surprise?! NOT!

 

[concernedmother]

So, AL DOES have a past history of drug abuse?! Surprise?! NOT!

This is just a tidbit of things to come. jmo

 

[ConnectZDots]

From what we've seen of him, I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't trying to negotiate a self-featured episode on MSNBC's "Lock Up" as we type..... He's such an Attention <Mod Snip>

I hope some of the local posters from the area return. There were several I noted from reading earlier threads who had really valuable information - but for some reason they've disappeared.

 

[arkansasmimi]

There was activity on Carter's cell phone after she disappeared, Minden said. Later he explained to HLN's Nancy Grace that activity included text messages, but he declined to elaborate on the nature of the texts. http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/30/us/arkansas-missing-realtor-beverly-carter/

*included* text messages. Do you also take this to mean some activity other than text messages?

 

[arkansasmimi]

snipped and underlined by me. There is mention of the drug history!

My point exactly

 

[concernedmother]

There was activity on Carter's cell phone after she disappeared, Minden said. Later he explained to HLN's Nancy Grace that activity included text messages, but he declined to elaborate on the nature of the texts. http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/30/us/arkansas-missing-realtor-beverly-carter/

*included* text messages. Do you also take this to mean some activity other than text messages?

It wouldnt surprise me to find they sent a pic to CC of BC bound in duct tape along with a ransom request from BC phone. . I just thought of something. Maybe they were communicating with CC through BC phone and thats why the phone was found in the house.Something like that probably wont come out until trial. Maybe thats why CC was pleading to let her go. Even if she was hurt. What lead him to think she may be hurt? jmo

 

[arkansasmimi]

Lewis has an 11-year-old criminal record with arrests in six states, including Arkansas, and convictions for robbery, transporting stolen vehicles and theft. But there's no indication he's ever been found to be mentally ill in any of those cases. He has been ordered to undergo counseling for drug abuse and mental health before, court records show. The psychological counseling was a requirement of his 2007 conviction for a federal probation violation.[/B]http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/dec/04/suspect-to-get-mental-test-20141204/

Snipped and underlined by me
Curious what the '2007 conviction for a federal probation violation' means... and why psychological counseling was a requirement.

 

[mpnola]

This is just a tidbit of things to come. jmo

Yes, I have to say- through all of the cases I have followed here, I have never said "Oh, well that's nothing!" after evidence is released. I am always shocked at just how bad it actually was. I always underestimate the horror most victims go through.

Let me scroll down my subscribed threads to the "found deceased ones"?

Sweetie, who had to have *graphic info* attached to her little girl thread because it was so much worse than anyone expected:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-6-Bremerton-2-August-2014-10-(Gabriel-Gaeta)

AH, who is alive!!! (YAY!!!) but the details were just released and shocked just about every one of us!
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-14-North-Conway-9-October-2013-15-**ARREST**

A hometown couple- NO one saw the horror coming that was discovered~! It is still hard to even wrap your head around.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...eph-34-St-John-Parish-18-Feb-2014-**ARRESTS**

Hannah Graham--- need I say more about that ACCUSED murderer.

Travis Alexander- killed by girlfriend murderer Jodi Arias- disgusting human.

I am skipping most of the children, not because they aren't worth it (Quite the opposite!!!), but because it is difficult details. Anyway, this was just a literal list on my subscribed threads and in each one, the details were worse than I expected. I think murder is worse than I can wrap my head around. I do not expect this case to be any different. I think when the details of the crime come out, there will be no disputing it and it will be far worse than most of us imagine.

 

[jstkiddn]

So, AL DOES have a past history of drug abuse?! Surprise?! NOT!

I will be very shocked if it comes back that AL was *not* using drugs at the time of his arrest. I still say that he had that look about him when he was arrested and he's gained so much weight since then. But, I do also want to say that just because he was using does not mean that CL was also using or that she was even necessarily aware that he was using.

Drug users are very sneaky people and they lie.

My druggie brother, during one of his sober/working phases, managed to snag himself a really nice girl and she married him. Oddly enough, she was a nursing student. Shortly afterwards, he started the tell-tale signs that he was using again and would come up with all these crazy stories about why money was disappearing and why he would not show up for work, etc.

He even hocked his wedding ring and told her that he was at a stop sign when some man came up to his truck window with a gun and stole it from him. They lie, lie, lie and the people closest to them want to believe them. There is ZERO doubt in my mind that my brother's new wife did not know he was a user and she herself did not use. She was duped. It happens.

BTW, they were married about 6 months before she realized she had made a horrible mistake and filed for divorce.

 

[mpnola]

It wouldnt surprise me to find they sent a pic to CC of BC bound in duct tape along with a ransom request from BC phone. . I just thought of something. Maybe they were communicating with CC through BC phone and thats why the phone was found in the house.Something like that probably wont come out until trial. Maybe thats why CC was pleading to let her go. Even if she was hurt. What lead him to think she may be hurt? jmo

My line of thinking is along these same lines.

 

[concernedmother]

My line of thinking is along these same lines.

We dont know at what point she was duct taped . She may have fought like a tiger and she may have been beat up before she was killed.

 

[arkansasmimi]

Deputies arrested Lowery on Sept. 29 on charges of theft by receiving, although the sheriff's office has refused to specify what property Lowery had received or from whom she had received it. Lowery was fingerprinted, then released with a citation to appear in court, and had been free until her arrest Thursday.
Metro on 11/01/2014
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/nov/01/innocent-s-plea-for-2nd-charged-in-real/

 

[arkansasmimi]

Pulaski County sheriff's investigators arrested the wife of murder suspect Arron Lewis on Thursday and charged her with capital murder and kidnapping in the disappearance and death of North Little Rock real estate agent Beverly Carter.

Crystal Lowery, 41, faces the same charges as her husband, who was initially arrested and charged with kidnapping on Sept. 29. When Carter's body was found the next day, authorities added a charge of capital murder.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Lowery about 1:45 p.m. Thursday at her home at 156 Randall Drive in Jacksonville, according to an arrest report. She was wearing bluejeans and a blue T-shirt, and did not speak to reporters as deputies escorted her in handcuffs from the sheriff's office to the Pulaski County jail later Thursday.

Sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden said he couldn't release details on what led investigators to arrest Lowery. Pulaski County District Judge Wayne Gruber sealed court files related to the case Sept. 30 at the request of prosecutors.

Minden said an investigation into Carter's slaying is ongoing and that he couldn't say whether there are additional suspects in the case.

"This investigation has never stopped, and we've kind of said that all along. It is sealed, but our investigators have been continuing to work on it," he said. "I've said numerous times we've had tips and leads, just tons of them, to finish working out. We've had suspicions all along. This is just something that, through the investigative process, they just happened to wrap up today and managed to get the warrant for the kidnapping and capital murder and serve it today."

Minden said Lowery "didn't really say much" to investigators after her arrest Thursday. Investigators had interviewed Lowery, a nursing student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the day Lewis was arrested.
"She didn't tell us anything at that point that gave us enough evidence to arrest her," Minden said. "Through the investigative process, we've managed to obtain enough to get the warrant. Exactly what that [evidence] is, I can't say, because everything in this case is sealed by prosecutors and the court. But there's a link there, and obviously a fairly substantial link for her to get the charges she has."Lowery was arrested Sept. 29 on a misdemeanor charge of theft by receiving and was released from jail the same day. It was her only known criminal charge until Thursday, Minden said
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/oct/31/deputies-arrest-wife-of-suspect-in-real/

 

[arkansasmimi]

TM- was interviewed on Monday...So AL had to have mentioned TM name to LEO during his interrogation proceedings.
***
The Pulaski County sheriff's office questioned Arron Lewis for more than 12 hours after his arrest Monday in the abduction of Carter, who disappeared Thursday after going to show a home in Scott. Investigators found her body more than 20 miles away Tuesday at Argos Concrete Co., 12117 Arkansas 5 in Cabot, in a rural area about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock. Lewis used to work for the business.

"We have reason to believe he's been on the property and is familiar with it," Pulaski County sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden said.Lewis admitted kidnapping Carter, the sheriff's office said, but wouldn't say where she was during the lengthy questioning. Shortly after being taken to the jail, investigators got a "major break in the case" that led them to the concrete business in far northern Pulaski County.

"They obtained permission to search the property," Minden said at the scene. "During the search of the property, they did find a shallow grave toward the back of the property," he said. "After they uncovered it, it was positively identified as Beverly Carter."

Lewis did say he was sorry, Minden said, and he admitted to investigators that he abducted Carter, evidence that "strongly ties him to the case." But there are unanswered questions.

"Why'd he pick her? Why'd he do what he did? There's a lot of things we'll have to piece together," Minden said.

In the video of him being escorted from the sheriff's office, Lewis says he has a "codefendant" named "Trevor." But Minden said authorities aren't seeking anyone else believed to be involved in the kidnapping and murder.

Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay also addressed the subject of "Trevor" at an afternoon news conference, saying, "We had him yesterday, interviewed him extensively. We do not believe at this point he was involved in the commission of this crime.”
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/sep/30/realtors-body-found-shallow-grave-lewis-charged-mu/

 

[sunflowerchick]

I know that this is not going to be a popular opinion here but I feel it needs to be said anyway.

I don't read too much into the superman stunt video or Halloween photos with regard to CL's character. Like many of you have said, this is very immature behavior. CL is a 40-something year old mother who was married and had kids really early. As a result, she probably feels like she "missed out" on some of her "party years". She probably missed out on college dorm life and probably didn't participate in other 20-something ridiculousness because she was too busy being a wife and a mom... or trying to at least. If that is the case, then it doesn't surprise me at all that she would engage in reckless, dangerous and juvenile behavior. I don't understand the psychology behind it but I know it happens... ALOT. It still isn't evidence that she is guilty of capital murder...yet.

 

[arkansasmimi]

October 17, 2014
Two Department of Correction employees remained on paid administrative leave Thursday while the department investigates how KARK-TV, Channel 4, in Little Rock received permission to interview Arron Lewis at the Tucker Maximum Security Unit in Jefferson County.

Lewis is charged with capital murder and kidnapping in the Carter case. He is being segregated from other inmates at the prison and is listed as under maximum security, and as such he would normally be allowed to communicate with the media via telephone, emails and letters, but not face to face.

Department of Correction spokesman Dina Tyler said Thursday that Lewis will have no further pretrial media contact.Court files in the case were sealed Sept. 30, and prosecutors said they wanted to protect the integrity of witnesses and potential jurors in the case.

"In any trial, you don't want to try a case in the media," deputy prosecutor John Johnson said Thursday.

Prosecutor Larry Jegley had been considering requesting a gag order in the case. He said Thursday that he was "less inclined" to do so, "now that I have been reassured that [the department] will not allow future interviews."
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/oct/17/prison-interview-irks-prosecutors-20141/

**Arkansas Mimi note-- I am guessing by future interviews, they are meaning face to face. He has been writing the newspaper at least once after this. And according to ADC rules, if its Media mail, its privileged correspondence


All incoming and outgoing inmate mail may be read, except for privileged correspondence with the inmate’s attorney; federal, state, and local court officials; any administrator of the Department of Correction, Board of Correction; and the media. If properly marked as privileged, the correspondence will be opened in front of the inmate and only inspected for contraband. http://adc.arkansas.gov/visitors/Pages/mailMoney.aspx

 

[ConnectZDots]

Correct. Reckless disregard for human life in itself is ...not a crime. Even if one of those lives you inadvertently thrust into harm's way happens to be your own offspring. But that's not what she is charged with. She's charged with kidnapping and murder of Beverly Carter.

I suppose the YouTube stunt and the countless other slights of judgement and character we've documented can be neatly swept up under the benign category of "juvenile or immature behavior"...for a 40-something yesr old mother of 3.... But that is not what she is charged with -and I doubt anyone is insinuating it in itself is proof of anything other than what it is: someone who demonstrates no qualms to make impulsive poor choices that endanger herself and others. I think the opinion here is largely that someone who shows a life pattern of making self indulgent and reckless choices implies that their personal moral compass may be off and their respect for the welfare of others appears to be greatly .... diminished. If I were on the defense team I doubt I'd try the "Didn't get to party enough" rationale in a murder trial.

I wonder too..., when is the juvenile alibi no longer applicable? Can a 60 yr old man be judged less guilty of a rape if he don't get to party enough in his 20s? Because he had kids. I don't know but it's something to think about. No snark intended, I think the character of the accused in a crime like this is important, MOO.

**These are general statements and personal opinions about behavior patterns, not conclusions.

 

[KayKay.85]

Arkansasmimi, you are quite the sleuther! Thank you for finding these imformative articles for us. I think it helps tremendously to go back and dig for missed articles, plus refreshes my memory. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[arkansasmimi]

** AL has had dislocated shoulder before

Lewis has a criminal record that stretches back 11 years in six states, and includes a pattern of breaking the conditions of his parole -- doing so three times between 2004 and 2008, according to police and court records.

In May of 2008, after 18 months in custody in Missouri on charges of aggravated flight from a law enforcement officer, Lewis was placed on supervised release to the Kansas City Community Center. Shortly thereafter, court records show, he was expelled over altercations with staff members.

In October of that year, Lewis was enrolled in the Cornell-Grossman Rehabilitation Center in Leavenworth, Kan., where he was going through a residential re-entry program, a stipulation of his release. In November, he signed out of the facility and never returned, according to records.

He was arrested less than a month later on accusations of removing a theft-detection device from an iPod at a Nebraska Furniture Mart store in Kansas City, Kan., according to police records. After complaining of having a dislocated shoulder, Lewis was taken to Kansas University Medical Center, where he escaped police custody, a police report says.
The next day, after learning that Lewis had left the rehabilitation center, the Western District Court of Missouri issued a warrant for his arrest. Lewis was arrested on the warrant in Perry, Okla., on Nov. 24, 2008.

In February of 2011, he was arrested in a theft in Northwest Arkansas, records there show.

On Nov. 21, 2011, Lewis was sentenced to six years in prison for theft of property and theft by receiving, but he was paroled in August 2013. No additional brushes with the law were found in court and police records until his arrest Monday.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/oct/02/inquiry-continues-into-realtor-death-20/

 

[arkansasmimi]

Oct 2 2014

Conway attorney Jim Hensley is representing Lewis. He was hired Tuesday, several hours after the Pulaski County public defender's office entered a plea of innocent on Lewis' behalf.

Hensley declined to comment regarding a possible defense strategy in Lewis' case, saying he wanted to avoid compromising the trial process by speaking to the media.

"What we try to do on these things is slow things down a little," Hensley said. "I think everything that needs to be said has been said. I think it's better I not talk to anyone right now and muddy the waters."

Pulaski County senior deputy prosecutor Melanie Martin filed a motion Tuesday to seal court files related to the case. The motion was granted by Pulaski County District Judge Wayne Gruber.

Martin did not return phone calls Wednesday, but deputy prosecutor John Johnson said his office requested that the files be sealed to "protect the investigation," which is ongoing.

"Just because someone gets arrested doesn't mean that there's not different parts of the investigation that continue, and that doesn't mean that witnesses have all been identified and talked to," he said.

Johnson said that because of publicity surrounding the case, prosecutors also wanted to protect the integrity of witnesses and jurors.

"We need to be sure witnesses are giving information based on their own knowledge. ... Long-term is more protecting your jury pool. Ultimately, if we're going to have a jury pool, we always want to minimize the amount of information that the public has so that the defendant gets a fair trial," he said.

Johnson said sealing court files is "not uncommon." More information will likely become available as "the case moves forward and there's different hearings that are held in primary court," he said.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/oct/02/inquiry-continues-into-realtor-death-20/