BENTONVILLE — The mother of accused killer Zachary Holly believes he’s innocent.
Ginger Simmons, Holly’s mother, attended a court hearing Thursday where his wife, Amanda, sought an order of protection against him.
At A Glance
Case Background
Zachary Holly, 28, of Bentonville is charged in connection with capital murder, rape and kidnapping, all Class Y felonies. He also is charged in connection with residential burglary, a Class B felony. Holly previously pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Proceedings in Holly’s case have been suspended pending his mental evaluation at the Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock.
Source: Staff Report
Zachary Holly, 28, of Bentonville is accused of kidnapping, raping and killing 6-year-old Jersey Bridåeman last November. The girl’s body was found in an abandoned Bentonville house. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
“I love my son,” Simmons said after the hearing. “I believe he is innocent.”
Simmons didn’t believe the protection order was necessary since Zachary Holly is being held without bail in the Benton County Jail.
She and her son talk for about 15 minutes each day when he calls her collect, Simmons said.
“People forget that there are two families involved in this whole sad story,” Simmons said.
Circuit Judge Tom Smith didn’t issue the order of protection but granted a 10-year no-contact order.
Amanda Holly filed a request for an order of protection last month. She said Thursday he called her collect from the jail 33 times in a two-day span.
“The phone calls were nonstop,” Amanda Holly said.
Jail officials blocked her number so Zachary Holly can no longer call her. Amanda Holly said she never accepted his collect calls.
Holly also sent her a Christmas card and three letters from jail. One letter instructed her to give his pillow and video games to a relative. Holly also proclaimed his love for her and her son in the letters, she said.
She told the court she has known Holly for 15 years.
“I never thought he was capable of anything like this,” she said. “I’m afraid he will come after my son and I.”
She said she plans to divorce Zachary Holly.
When questioned by Kent McLemore, one of Zachary Holly’s attorneys, Amanda Holly admitted she mailed him two letters since he has been in jail. She said she was being sarcastic when she used “Dearest husband” and “Loving wife” in the letters. She claimed she only wrote him to get his power of attorney for tax purposes.
Zachary Holly didn’t testify Thursday, but McLemore told Smith his client objected to Smith granting a protection order.
Heather Hersh with Legal Aid of Arkansas represented Amanda Holly. Hersh asked Smith to grant the order of protection.
“She is scared of Zach for her and her son,” Hersh said.
McLemore argued there had been no evidence of domestic abuse presented against Zachary Holly.
“You can’t issue a protection order because someone is charged with a serious offense,” McLemore said.
Smith didn’t find Holly abused his wife and didn’t specifically grant the order of protection. Smith did order a no-contact order be issued. It would prohibit Holly from having any contact with Amanda Holly and his stepson. The no-contact order will be included in divorce proceedings once Amanda Holly seeks a divorce.
Smith told Zachary Holly the no-contact order also prohibits any third party from contacting Amanda Holly.