A suspect has been arrested in the beating death of a popular Arkansas tv news anchorwoman.
Anne Pressly, 26, was found clinging to life in the bedroom of her bungalow by her mother, who went to check on her when she didn’t answer her wake up call.
Pressly suffered blunt force trauma to her head, neck and chest in what police said was a random home invasion gone horribly wrong. Pressly was beaten so severely, she was barely recognizable. She died five days later in a hospital intensive care unit without ever regaining consciousness.
Police say someone used the victim’s ATM card at a gas station after the beating. For four weeks police had no suspect in the case.
Then on November 26, Curtis Lavelle Vance, 28, was arrested about 90 minutes after Little Rock police held a press conference and aired his picture on the evening news.
Police said Vance was in the company of a woman, three kids and a gun with “lots of ammunition.” Police were tipped off to his location at a home in Marianna, a small town about 100 miles east of Little Rock. He was unarmed and offered no resistance.
Police say Vance had acquaintances in Little Rock and was familiar with the area. Vance’s DNA was used to identify him, but police would not say how they obtained his DNA. Pressly’s parents revealed she had been sexually assaulted during the attack.
“This is a very, very solid case built on solid detective work,” Chief Stuart Thomas of the Little Rock Police Department said at the news conference. “We’re going to be very tight-lipped on this case, pre-trial.” Source
Glad they caught him … hope they bury him UNDER the jail !
What connection did these two have? This seems rather random – how would they be assoiciated?
…I read somewhere that he was stalking her…
now this ticked me off too. why not just rob the lady? did he have to beat her face in? and the fact that he was found with a gun with “lots of ammunition” but offered no resistance when arrested says to me….he is a punk anyway. why act like a billy bad ass by having a gun but act like a scared biotch and throw your hands up when arrested?
curt gonna get his in the pen. let me help this fool out with a bye bye. again hope the fam finds some peace.
@iyonah
I do not believe they were associated. I thought it was a robbery gone bad.
Some of you may not agree but I think if you are found guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt and there is DNA evidence that should be automatic death penalty. There is too much tax payer money going to support these fools in jail.
crazy…..
no i agree with you shunda.
ITA with you shunda … put him to sleep .. like they do dogs at the kennel
@ Shunda – ITA but then you have to think about flawed DNA samples and inadequate state testing facilities. I think this would be a great idea if DNA had to be tested over in the UK somewhere, where the have no stake in getting someone convicted, no prosecutors and judges and DAs up for re-election that have the pull to tamper with test outcomes. Otherwise, I think it is a fabulous idea! Identify and fry!
someone used her atm card?! people do the dumbest ish…may she rest in peace…i know her mom is happy w/ this latest development…
@ecstracy
I see where you are coming from because I thought about that also but I am sure it is cheaper to do another DNA test than to keep these fools in prison for life.
This was a crazy story. He will never see the light of day again.
AND !! .. whats up with these Crim-nals and the lines in the friggin eyebrows ? ? ? ?
is that morse code for imma unda cova fag when they get to jail ?
@ Shunda – a good idea would be the same genetic samples run by two separate labs to begin with, then there is little room for doubt… unless you are a chimera.
@ Kymystry – Please don’t let that be the code…my son shave lines like that and I am really just not ready for that “coming out of the closet” convo…hehehe
ecstracy got me using google this morn … lol
In zoology, a chimera is an animal that has two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells that originated in different zygotes; if the different cells emerged from the same zygote, it is called a mosaicism. Chimerism is rare in human beings: there have been only about 40 reported cases[citation needed].
in Arkansas, he gonna hang from tree……
@ Kymystry – I watch too much Discovery Channel
Whenever I hear these stories, I always wonder what drives a man to rape a women? Aside from killing her, that’s the worse you can do! I with Shunda, kill him!
Glad there is still justice in the world.
KYMESTRY I HAVE SEEN A FEW SHOWS DISCUSSING CHIMERA. A WOMAN LOST HER KIDS DUE TO THE CONDITION, THEY BELIEVED THAT SHE HAD STOLEN HER OWN CHILDREN, WITH WHICH SHE HAD DOCUMENTS TO PROVE THEY WERE HERS, BUT HER DNA TOLD A DIFFERENT STORY. ULTIMATELY SHE DID GET THEM BACK THOUGH. I DON’T BELIEVE IN THE DEATH PENALTY MYSELF, I THINK LIFE AND DEATH SHOULD BE MADE BY GOD NOT MAN. THEY KILLING HIM IS THE SAME HE HAS DONE TO HER(IF GUILTY). ECSTRACY THEY JUST HAD A CASE ON CSI THE OTHER NIGHT WHERE THIS MAN HAD RAPED AND KILLED THIS WOMAN, SHE HAD IDENTIFIED HIM AFTER THE RAPE, OF COURSE THE DNA(SEMEN) SAMPLE CAME BACK NOT MATCHING THE BLOOD THEY HAD DRAWN.
ITA w/ There is too much tax payer money going to support these fools in jail.
I just cna’t understand random killings – when people are assocaited then motives come into play – but random, senseless killings just really UPSET me. Like seriously, if this was a robbery why couldn’t he just tie her up or something – there was no need to rape, beat and kill her.
What a COWARD, this is an instance where I hope the COPS did BEAT him up a few good times.
Never heard of chimera till now ladies – thanks for the info ..
@ Muncho – thanks again for the link.
I am a TLC junkie .. I watched the episode on HUGE people.. this black dude from NY was OVA 700 lbs .. they showed him eating .. and I literally lost my appitite … as a matta of fact .. i NEED to keep that imange in my head when i reach for my weakness .. chocolate chip cookies .. lol .. he took a chicken leg… put it completely in his mouth .. it came out clean … he had rice all on his breast/chesticles … he was disgusting … had a oxygen tub in his nose/snout … the part that REALLY got me was .. when his neice showed him just HOW much food he eats in a day .. well in excess of 14,000 calories .. and he PULLED the table to him .. and said I wouldn’t eat these fries they are cold and dry … but proceeded to GRAZE on everything else !!!
What is making people snap and do stuff like this?
I bet you he has a record.
Is prison that appealing?
Sad way to leave. I hope her mom finds peace, and boy I would have just died anyway with his nasty looking self humping on me.
Why? He had in-house twat @ home. Lock him up. I hate criminals!
KYMESTRY, I WATCHED THAT AS WELL. THE PART THAT REALLY GOT ME, WAS WATCHING THEM COOK HIS FOOD. I MEAN THEY WERE BASICALLY DEEP FRYING SAUSAGES IN OIL, AND YES, HIM EATING WAS DIGUSTING. HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE HELPING HIS PROBLEM. THE CAUCASIAN MAN IN THE HOSPICE WANTING THE HAMBURGER INSTEAD OF THE SALAD WAS COMICAL!
OH, IYONAH, NO PROBLEM. DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO THE SONGS?
Is that TLC show the Brookhaven Obeisity Clinic one? If so I think I had to stop watching that because I started feeling a lil’ anorexic…the thought of getting that big scares me…’@ MUNCHOSGIRL – I see what you’re saying about DNA, but it seems we need to do something else besides put people who have killed, especially randomly without cause, in jail and have to pay t house them forever. Right now most prisoners live better than most college students – on our dime, yet most of us struggle sending our kids to college. My oldest eats so much Ramen, he drives 12 hours one way just for a home cooked meal. He has no cable – no air conditioning…yet my tax dollars are sent to those who have all these amenities. It IRKS me somthin’ fierce!
“This is a very, very solid case built on solid detective work,” said Chief Stuart…
++++++++++++++++++++++
Good job AR police, now send your dayum men to the CHI where they can use some help.
AR police tracked this random dude down and Chicago PD still scratching they azz on what to do with the Hudson case. I heard on the radio this morning that they went ahead and charged Balfour because he had to go before the parole board tomorrow and they know that they can’t keep him much longer. They don’t have anymore evidencet than they did 3 weeks ago.
I always thought there was more to this woman’s brutal death. I thought that the killer would have known her b/c there was no force entry AND the person beat her in the face where she was unrecognizable. This woman is consider beautiful by some and her profession was based around her “beauty” as a news broadcaster. Immediately I thought the person who commited the crime was trying to leave a message and mess her face up purposely or knew her and wanted to hurt her and her career. I was also hopeing that the crime was not commited by a AA! So sad. I truly feel bad the way this woman murder and may she rest in peace!
You know I saw this case when it was aired on 48 Hours Mystery and like a lot of crimes it creeped me out because she had just left a boyfriend’s house. She did what I and so many other women do; walk into your own damn home. You aren’t truly safe anywhere and that is a scary realization.
Anywho, I remember a couple of guys that she had been dating were suspects but essentially the police had no solid leads.
Actually, Vance is from Marianna and was suspected to be on the run with thew oman, three kids and a gun with “lots of ammunition.” The news reports before he was captured stated he was probably in Little Rock and considered to e armed and dangerous. He was arrested slone at a home in Little Rock around 11 p.m. with no guns or ammunition on him. His DNA was initially associated with the rape of a Teach for America teacher in Marianna, once his DNA was collected in that case it was found to also match DNA found in the Anne Pressly’s case.
As someone from the area:I don’t buy this as robbery gone wrong either. There was no forced entry to her home and she had two large dogs who made no attempt to protect her of the home by barking which would have alerted neighbors in this closeknit old money neighborhood or by going after this assailant. Also the local paper stated that the stolen credit card was only used for a $3 purchase. Just a few facts that strike me as strange. I think there is more to the story of why she was attacked. There is speculation that he was stalking her, but the police at this time do not believe this was actually the case. There are also a slew of nasty rumors going on about what really went down, but I don’t even want to go there
@ecstracy
What @shunda is proposing CAN be done and done quite effectively… Here in Illinois they do just what you said (comment #14) for paternity tests ROUTINELY & will give you the address/phone number/technician’s name so you can challenge the accuracy of their results
And YES I AGREE with @shunda about THIS Abomination of a human being
brdnbutta please go there. I am so damn nosey. LOL
shunda Says:
I do not believe they were associated. I thought it was a robbery gone bad.
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As usual, black women can’t accept the fact that a black man is responsible for such a heinous crime. Once again, black women are making excuses for a thug’s criminal behavior! I’ve read some of the most ridiculous rumors and excuses from people in Little Rock. Everything from she was a tranny to she was dating some boxer who took out a hit on her! Is there something in the water in Little Rock? 
You would not believe the crazy emails I’m getting from readers in Little Rock!!
Hey Auntie (waving)
Sometimes black women will defend a black man to the end. I for one am not one of them. If he did the crime he needs to go out the same way she did. She doesn’t look like a tranny to me.
How these “sistahs” gonna explain away his DNA …
booo please … Fry his azz .. hang him from his nutz .. the Rape alone is horrible enough… then to get bludgeoned … GTFOH !
One minute all the sistahs are bashing brothas and the next or whenever it’s convenient usually when one is trying to make a point the sistahs will defend a brother to the end
GTFOH-I highly doubt anyone with common sense is riding hard for this criminal especially with the DNA evidence, and it’s no mystery that many crimes such as this are committed by a man of color
who really cares-this man is guilty and that is really all that matters
@cutiechica Says:
brdnbutta please go there. I am so damn nosey. LOL
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I think Auntie took care of that for you, lol. It is a shame what people will say about folks who are dead. As far as the people defending, I think that comes from just a general distrust of the police and legal system, particularly in the Southdue to our ugly. When she was first attacked I know one of my first thought was I hope it’s not somebody Black, but it was and that is that…