FAYETTEVILLE -- Lawyers for a Springdale man charged with murder filed a wide-ranging slew of motions Monday aimed at suppressing statements and limiting pretrial publicity in the case.
Anferney Amram, 18, is charged with capital murder and aggravated residential burglary in connection with the shooting of Xavier Williams.
Pretrial motions
After the preliminary hearing and before a trial, the prosecutor and the defense team make pretrial motions. These motions can be for varied reasons like certain evidence should be kept out of the trial or that certain persons must or cannot testify, or that the case should be dismissed altogether. An example is a motion to suppress a statement or evidence.
Source: uslegal.com
Police found Williams, 24, dead Aug. 17 in his apartment at Strawberry Meadows Place. He was shot multiple times with a 9mm handgun Aug. 16, according to a police report.
Among the almost 20 motions are one to suppress statements Amram made to police after his arrest and another to suppress the statements of any co-defendants or co-conspirators.
Amram told police he shot Williams because he threatened Amram's family. He said he planned to kill Williams a few months earlier and he stole the gun with which to shoot him, according to a news release.
Amram's attorneys say he wasn't properly informed of his Miranda rights before being interrogated by police and the statements of others would be hearsay.
The motion to prevent pretrial publicity asks Washington County Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay to bar the defense, prosecutors, police and crime lab employees from discussing the case with the media.
"The continued release of information to the media is likely to prejudice the defendant's right to a fair trial comprised of an impartial jury free from outside influences in accordance with due process of law," according to the motion. "This case will continue to generate some publicity as hearings are held and preparation is made for trial. However, the unnecessary, continued exposure of this case outside of courtroom litigation will trigger the media to recount the history of this case and of the defendant and very often in an encapsulated and incomplete fashion which generates false and unwarranted public perceptions about this case and serve to prejudice the public, and potential jurors, against the defendant."
Other motions would require psychological examination reports to be filed under seal, sever Amram's case from any co-defendants, suppress any gruesome photographs or evidence and prohibit any attempts, covert or overt, to obtain information, statements or evidence from Amram.
The defense wants witnesses sequestered during trial and a prohibition of displays of emotion in the courtroom. They want the prosecution to be prevented from telling potential witnesses what each other said or preparing witnesses together.
Finally, the defense is asking prosecutors define the circumstances that would allegedly manifest extreme indifference to the value of human life, a requirement of the capital murder charge.
If convicted of capital murder, Amram faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors haven't said whether they intend to seek the death penalty against Amram.
Amram is being held at the Washington County Detention Center with no bond set. His next court appearance is May 14.
Junior Betero Teorea, 17, was arraigned and charged as an adult in Washington County Circuit Court in late August. He is charged with accomplice to residential burglary.
Teorea, of Springdale, pleaded not guilty. He was 16 at the time of the shooting.
The residential burglary charge carries a potential sentence of 10 to 40 years or life with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
Teorea is being held in the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center with no bond set.
Albert Davis, 19, Billson Andrike, 19, and Tracy Schuman, 33, also were arrested in the days following the homicide.
Schuman pleaded not guilty to accomplice to capital murder and hindering apprehension. Andrike and Davis pleaded not guilty to accomplice to tampering with evidence and accomplice to residential burglary.
NW News on 03/20/2018