Man convicted in shooting death of friend

Fritts sentenced to life

By Dave Hughes

Posted: August 21, 2012 at 1:08 p.m.

Credit: Fort Smith Police Department
Brandon Fritts

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FORT SMITH — A Sebastian County Circuit Court jury deliberated for 90 minutes Tuesday morning before convicting Brandon Fritts of first-degree murder in the Jan. 3 shooting death of 36-year-old Jamie Czeck of Kibler.

After further deliberation, jurors decided on a life sentence for Fritts.

Prosecutors told the jury that because Fritts had 18 prior felony convictions, he would have to serve the entirety of any sentence. The range of sentences for first-degree murder is 10 years to life in prison.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Linda Ward told jurors they were the conscience of the community in deciding on the appropriate sentence for Fritts.

“How soon do you want Brandon Fritts back on the streets wreaking his mayhem?” she asked.

Fritts’ attorney, John Joplin, asked jurors to sentence his client to a term of years, saying he hoped they would not deprive him of freedom for the rest of his life.

The state rested its case Monday after the jury viewed two recorded police interviews with Fritts in which he admitted shooting to death Czeck in an alley in south Fort Smith. Czeck was from Kibler in Crawford County.

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