Fort Smith man acquitted of murder

A Sebastian County Circuit Court jury acquitted 60-year-old Kevyphonh Songyaphong Thursday of first-degree murder in the 2013 strangulation death of a Fort Smith woman in her home.

The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for 3 1/2 hours Thursday before acquitting Songyaphong of the Jan. 24, 2013, death of Sakounsouk Vilayhong, 50, after hearing three days of testimony.

Songyaphong was being retried on the murder charge after a mistrial was declared in his first trial in April because jurors were exposed to information not presented by attorneys in the case.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more on this story.

Upcoming Events