Jury delivers mixed verdict to 80-year-old who pulled gun on couple ktlo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktlo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Robert Dean Penny
A man charged in the shooting death of his landlord entered a guilty plea to a second degree murder charge and was sentenced to 25 years in prison during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Sixty-three-year-old Robert Dean Penny was initially charged with first-degree murder in early December 2017. It was alleged Penny killed 71-year-old Chester Hornowski. Penny’s sentence on the murder charge will run concurrent with time he is spending in prison on earlier charges. He appeared in court Thursday in the white uniform of the state prison system.
Mistrial on murder charge
A mistrial was declared on the murder charge in September 2019 after a Baxter County Circuit Court jury was unable to reach a verdict as to Penny’s guilt or innocence after deliberating for about six hours.
A mental examination for first-degree murder suspect Amber Lea Runau to see if she is competent to stand trial and if she can be held criminally responsible in the death of her 72-year-old neighbor has been completed, it was announced Thursday in Baxter County Circuit Court.
In a November hearing, Circuit Court Judge John Putman ordered the 21-year-old Runau undergo evaluations to determine if she can help in her defense and if she can be held criminally liable for her alleged conduct.
Court officials now must await the results of the examination before the case can proceed. Should the results come back and indicate Runau is competent to stand trial in the killing of Sharon Adler, that may not be the end of the issue.
Woman charged with killing family friend appears in court ktlo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktlo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Photo: Douglas Alan Daniel
A man unhappy with the lack of repairs to the mobile home he rented is now charged with taking his frustration out on his landlord in an altercation involving shots fired.
Sixty-year-old Douglas Alan Daniel appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday. Sam Pasthing told the court he would represent Daniel.
Daniel had already entered a not guilty plea to the charges against him.
On Oct. 7, Baxter County deputies responded to a mobile home park along State Highway 126 North, where an altercation involving a weapon had been reported.
When the deputies arrived, they made contact with Daniel. He was reported to have been intoxicated to the point he was confused, slurring his words and unsteady on his feet.