| Updated: 1/16/2009 8:32 am |
Published: 1/15/2009 10:51 am |
Little Rock, AR - - Curtis Vance pleads not guilty to the murder and rape of anchorwoman Anne Pressly. Her parents, Guy and Patti Cannady were in the courtroom Thursday morning facing their daughter's accused killer for the first time.
After the short hearing, Vance told FOX16 that police have the wrong person. Vance maintained his claim to innocence, not only in the courtroom, but outside in his first public appearance since he was arrested for Pressly's murder.
Shackled at the wrists and ankles and wearing a bullet proof vest, Curtis Vance entered a courtroom for the first time.
Vance didn't answer questions on his way in, his mother, Jacqueline Burnett was there supporting her son.
"I hope he's innocent," Burnett says.
Anne Pressly's parents, Guy and Patti Cannady were there too, standing before Circuit Judge Chris Piazza. Vance’s attorney's entered a not guilty plea for him. Piazza set a September 9 trial date.
His two brothers and childhood friend Aaron Creggett also attended. Creggett came to the hearing on leave from the United States Marine Corps.
"Curtis Vance being a childhood acquaintance and a neighbor of mine, I don't see him being capable of doing it,” Creggett says. “But at the same time, if the evidence is there they will convict him."
On his way out of the courtroom Vance spoke up.
Goins says: "What have the last few months been like?" Vance says: "Hell." Goins says: "It's been like hell?" Vance says: "Yeah."
He acknowledged Pressly's parents and denied any role in her murder.
Goins says: "Did you see the Cannady's in there?" Vance says: "Yeah I see them." Goins says: "What did you think when you saw them?" Vance says: "They need to find the real person." Goins says: "You didn't do it?" Vance says: "No sir."
Pressly's parents and supporters left the courthouse without talking to reporters but Vance continued down the hall talking about evidence in the case.
Goins says: "What about the fact police has DNA. Does that worry you?" Vance says: "They investigated my house, they searched my house twice." Goins says: "Did you offer a DNA swab?" Vance says: "No they told me somebody else came and said I raped her." Goins says: "So you didn't give a DNA swab through your mouth?" Vance says: "They illegally took it." Goins says: "They legally took it?" Vance (shakes his head yes) says: "Said I was supposed to rape the 19 year old."
His statements conflict with the arrest affidavit from Little Rock Police detectives that indicates Vance consented to an oral DNA swab in Marianna with multiple witnesses present.
Creggett says he hasn’t seen Vance much since he moved from Marianna 10 years ago. However he did tell FOX16 News he talked to Vance at Park Plaza Mall after the Pressly murder but before his arrest.
“He seemed totally normal, didn’t look like anything was troubling his conscience at all,” Creggett says. "Justice will prevail. If the evidence is there to convict him then their family deserves to see someone convicted."
As Vance stepped onto an elevator taking him out of the courthouse and back to the county jail he called out to his family.
"I love you mama," Vance said.
His brother Myron Vance, 23, left the courtroom at one point in tears. His family briefly talked to reporters after the hearing.
"I just send my prayers out to Anne Pressly's family," he said.
Pulaski County prosecuting attorney Larry Jegley said he would not talk about the case while it is on going and has not decided whether or not to pursue the death penalty in the capital murder case.
Judge Piazza set a pretrial hearing for August 18 and a February 13 hearing to determine if Vance attorneys will require their client to receive a mental evaluation before trial. Piazza also lifted the gag order that was in place preventing all parties from speaking to the media about the case.
Upon release of the gag order, FOX16 News obtained a copy of Vance’s jail intake records from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department under a Freedom of Information Act request. It includes a list of all visitors Vance would accept at the jail, along with an order from LRPD to take Vance out of the jail on December 10 for four hours for further questioning downtown. According to jail records, it is the only time Vance had been out of jail since his arrest until his court hearing Thursday.
Vance intake records also indicate he bears a tattoo that reads, “only God can judge me.”
