BENTONVILLE — A former social worker described records detailing abuse allegations Friday during convicted murderer Zachary Holly’s childhood when he lived in California.
Jana Davis, a former social worker for the Kern County Department of Human Services in Bakersfield, Calif., spent Friday morning testifying during the sentencing phase of Holly’s murder trial.
Holly, 30, of Bentonville was found guilty of capital murder, kidnapping, rape and residential burglary. Jersey Bridgeman, 6, was found dead Nov. 20, 2012 in an abandoned house next to Holly’s home on Southeast A St. She had been strangled to death with her pajama pants.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Davis is one of the witnesses that Holly’s defense attorneys have called in their effort to convince the jury to sentence Holly to life imprisonment without the benefit of parole instead of a death sentence.
Davis testified that she did remember Holly.
Davis reviewed the records while testifying. Holly was 2 years old when DHS had its first contact with his family. The referral concerned neglect and conditions in Holly’s home and that he was eating out of the garbage because his mother would not feed him. The referral also claimed that there was drug use in the home.
The case was closed because it was determined that there was no risk to Holly, according to Davis.
DHS received a second referral months later in July 1987 and the complaint reported that the mother did not feed the child, but borrows food and feeds her boyfriend while Holly has to beg for food and is left alone at his apartment complex, Davis said.
“The mother is working to take care of her boyfriend rather than feed her child,” Davis said while being questioned by Kent McLemore, one of Holly’s attorneys.
The second case was also closed, Davis said.
The next referral was received in 1993 and concerned Holly, who was 8, being sexually abused by a 13-year-old boy.
Other referrals to DHS concerned Holly being left alone and his mother’s addiction to methamphetamine. DHS received a report that Holly’s stepfather, Joseph Blackmon, had physically abused Holly and the case was referred to police and Blackmon was arrested.
Davis will remain on the witness stand when the trial resumes after lunch.
Ginger Simmons, Holly’s mother, was also expected to testify during Friday’s proceedings.