Defense granted time in death-penalty trial

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green agreed Monday to give attorneys for a man accused of killing his grandmother more time to review findings of his mental evaluation.

Michael Eugene Conklin, 26, of Bentonville previously pleaded innocent to capital murder and aggravated robbery. He is being held without bail in the Benton County jail.

He is accused of killing Nelma Darline Conklin, 76, in her Bentonville home. Stab wounds in her neck were the cause of her death, according to court documents.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

Conklin appeared in court Monday for a mental status hearing. Proceedings were suspended in October when Conklin was ordered to undergo the evaluation.

The evaluation will determine whether Conklin is fit to stand trial and whether he understood criminal responsibility at the time of the crime.

Conklin was evaluated at Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock. The findings were not discussed at Monday's hearing. The next hearing is set for 8 a.m. June 15.

Although details of the mental evaluation were not discussed Monday, Conklin did write a letter to Green concerning the evaluation. The letter was filed March 9.

Conklin requested in the letter that he be sent back to the State Hospital for what he described as a more thorough mental evaluation.

Conklin said his initial evaluation took just two hours. He feels an evaluation should take at least a month so his attorneys and the court would have a full report, according to the letter, which was not discussed Monday.

Police went to Nelma Conklin 's home for a welfare check July 20. She hadn't been to work at Wal-Mart on Pleasant Grove Road in Rogers since July 14. A co-worker was unable to contact her and called police.

Police found her dead in the garage of her home at 3300 S.W. Elm Manor Ave. Her body was concealed by trash bags and pieces of cardboard, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Michael Conklin lived with his grandmother. He was arrested several days later in Saline County.

Police interviewed Nelma Conklin 's family and co-workers and learned she and her grandson hadn't been getting along, according to court documents.

Michael Conklin could be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted of capital murder. He faces from 10 to 40 years or life imprisonment if convicted of aggravated robbery.

Metro on 03/31/2015

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