A Johnson County Circuit Court judge has scheduled the week of Dec. 9 for the trial of Kou Her, who is charged with killing a 6-year-old girl and attempting to kidnap a 14-year-old girl from a rural Johnson County home, Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons said.
Her, 22, of Clarksville entered an innocent plea to the charges through court-appointed attorneys John Burnett and Mike Robbins during an arraignment Friday morning before Circuit Judge William Pearson.
Gibbons said Pearson also granted a request by Her’s attorneys during the hearing to have him undergo a mental evaluation. Her has been held in the Johnson County jail in lieu of $1 million bond since his May 10 arrest.
Her is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Autumn Vang. Her is accused of stabbing Autumn in the head behind the ear after he broke into her home in rural Johnson County to kidnap the 14-year-old girl who was sleeping in the same bed as Autumn.
Autumn died of her injuries May 16 at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
Her also is charged with attempted kidnapping, aggravated residential burglary, first-degree battery and aggravated assault, all felonies.
Authorities say Her climbed in the window of the home on County Road 2243 at about 4 a.m. May 10 and tried to suffocate the 14-yearold girl with a rag soaked with gasoline.
Deputies found what they called evidence of a planned kidnapping in Her’s car that was parked near the end of the driveway leading to the home. In the car were, among other things, tape, black trash bags, braided string, gloves, paper towels, scissors and a camera.
Her struggled with the girls, which awakened family members who fought to remove Her from the bedroom, authorities said.
Authorities said that Her wielded a large kitchen knife and a pair of scissors and wounded two men fighting with him. Autumn also was stabbed during the struggle.
The relatives were able to subdue Her and hold him until deputies arrived and arrested Her, authorities said. According to the sheriff’s office, Her continued to fight with deputies as they transported him to jail.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 07/06/2013