Prosecutors won't retry Bella Vista man accused of threats

Prosecutors will not retry a Bella Vista man who was arrested in connection with making statements that referenced bringing an assault rifle into a courthouse.

Ronald Fennell was charged with terroristic threatening in the first degree, a Class D felony. His trial ended in a mistrial June 6 after a jury could not reach a verdict.

Bryan Sexton, deputy prosecutor, informed the court Monday that the Prosecutor’s Office will not retry Fennell on the felony charge.

State Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, testified during the trial that he received several telephone calls from Fennel, who was upset about a school fundraiser and the Bentonville Police Department. Hester testified Fennell told him he needed to take him more seriously because these things make “some folks take an assault rifle into a courthouse.”

Hester reported the January 2013 telephone call to Bentonville police. who referred it to the Arkansas State Police because of the department’s history with Fennell.

A jury could not reach a verdict and Circuit Judge Robin Green declared a mistrial on the felony charge.

A jury did find Fennell guilty of one count of misdemeanor harassment and not guilty of another count of misdemeanor harassment. The first harassment charge dealt with an issue at Fennell’s son elementary school. The other involved Fennell's behavior at the Melvin Ford Aquatic Center in Bentonville.

Fennell was found guilty of harassment at the school. He was sentenced to 29 days in the Benton County Jail.

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