Judge denies motion to seal file on Fort Smith machete killings

A Sebastian County Circuit Court judge Tuesday denied a motion to seal the investigative file in the case of Gregory Aaron Kinsey, 20, charged with two counts of capital murder in the machete slaying of two men in Fort Smith last month.

Judge Stephen Tabor said during a hearing on a motion to prohibit pre-trial publicity that impartial juries have been seated in Sebastian County to hear cases that have been as notorious as the case before him and have received as much media coverage.

While the investigative file will remain open, Tabor ordered that photos of the two victims at the crime scene be removed from the file. He also ordered that photos from Kinsey's apartment as well as two videos from Kinsey's cell phone be removed from the file.

He also left in place a ruling last week barring attorneys working on the case and law enforcement agencies from commenting on the case to reporters.

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