Attorneys Want Mental Evaluation For Holly

Zachary Holly, center, is escorted to a Benton County Sheriff’s Office patrol car Nov. 28 after an bond hearing at the Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville.

Zachary Holly, center, is escorted to a Benton County Sheriff’s Office patrol car Nov. 28 after an bond hearing at the Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville.

Friday, January 25, 2013

— Defense attorneys for the man accused of killing a 6-year-old girl in November want a mental evaluation for their client.

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 in connection with the death of 6-year-old Jersey Bridgeman. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

Attorneys Madison Aydelott III and Kent McLemore recently filed a motion for a mental evaluation. The motion claims there’s reason to believe Holly isn’t fit to proceed to trial and may have a mental disease or defect that will become an issue in the case.

The motion wants Circuit Judge Brad Karren to commit Holly to the Arkansas State Hospital for 30 days or longer to determine whether Holly lacks the capacity to understand the proceedings against him or to assist with his defense. The motion also wants the evaluation to determine whether Holly lacked the capacity at the time of the “alleged occurrence” to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law.

Holly’s next court appearance is set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 28.

Jersey’s body was found in an empty house next door to Holly’s home Nov. 20. A medical examiner determined she died from asphyxia, according to court records.

DesaRae Bridgeman told police her daughter was with the Holly and his wife while she was at work, according to court documents. Holly and his wife often baby-sat Jersey and her younger sister when Bridgeman and her boyfriend worked.

Holly carried Jersey while Bridgeman carried her other daughter home after work, Bridgeman told police. They placed the girls in the same bed, according to the affidavit. Bridgeman discovered Jersey missing when she woke shortly after 6:30 a.m.

Police officers found Jersey’s body in the abandoned house a short time later.

In a previous incident, Jersey, who was 5 at the time, was found Dec. 2, 2011, chained to a dresser in her Rogers home, according to court documents. She lived with her father and stepmother, David Bridgeman and Jana Slinkard. Both are serving prison sentences for felony charges related to the abuse case.

Defense attorneys also filed a motion to limit prosecutors from mentioning any of Jersey’s previous injuries during Holly’s jury trial.

The defense filed several other motions in the case. Many motions routinely are filed in death penalty cases. For example, some motions want the court to declare the death penalty unconstitutional. A motion was also filed requesting Holly be allowed to wear civilian clothing to all court appearances.

Holly is being held without bond in the Benton County Jail.

At A Glance

What Holly Faces

Zachary Holly could be sentenced to either life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted of capital murder. The punishment for kidnapping and rape is 10-40 years or life imprisonment. However, Holly faces a minimum of 25 years in prison if convicted of raping someone 13 and younger. He faces five to 20 years in prison if convicted of residential burglary.

Source: Staff Report