Man pleads guilty to capital murder in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A man charged in connection with two homicides in central Arkansas was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole as part of a plea agreement Monday.

Prosecutors in Faulkner County agreed to drop several other charges against Ronald Charles as part of the deal in which he pleaded guilty to two counts of capital murder.

"I hope this sentence reflects the principle that we value human life in this district," prosecutor Cody Hiland said.

The state is seeking the death penalty against Charles' co-defendant, Troy Crook. As part of the plea deal, Charles agreed to testify at Crook's trial in August.

The plea agreement comes more than three years after prosecutors say Charles and Crook attacked Bobby and Lonnie Brock and Crook shot them to death near Vilonia in 2008.

According to a report from the prosecutor, Charles and Crook were drinking and smoking cocaine near Vilonia before they attacked the Brocks. The pair ran out of drugs and went over to the Brock residence in the hopes of stealing firearms that they could trade for more cocaine, according to the prosecutor's report.

It's not clear how Charles and Crook knew the Brocks. But sometime after they arrived, Charles and Crook started drinking and smoking marijuana with the Brocks, according to the court document.

Crook asked to fire the guns, but was told no. At some point, prosecutors allege, Charles hit Bobby Brock in the head with a hammer, knocking him to the ground. Crook attacked Lonnie Brock with a piece of metal, according to the report.

Crook then stole a firearm and shot Lonnie Brock in the face, prosecutors allege. Charles told him to shoot Bobby Brock and Crook fired again, according to the prosecutor's report.

The men then went through the couple's pants and stole $4, prosecutor Cody Hiland said Monday. They used that money to buy gas before they drove to North Little Rock, where prosecutors say they traded the stolen weapons for more drugs.

Charles' attorney, Stephen Ralph, declined to comment. Crook's attorney, James Wyatt, didn't immediately return a message left Monday afternoon.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)