LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of two men sitting on death row in separate rulings.
Justices on Thursday upheld the capital murder convictions of Derek Sales and Gregory Decay, both of whom were sentenced to death. Sales was convicted in the April 16, 2005, slaying of Willie York of Bradley County. Decay was convicted in the April 3, 2007, shooting deaths of Kevin Jones and Kendall Rice of Fayetteville.
Sales had argued his counsel was ineffective for telling jurors that he might be pardoned by the governor if sentenced to life, and for referring during opening statements that Sales had escaped jail while awaiting trial.
Decay had also argued that his counsel had been ineffective during his trial.