MARIANNA, Ark. (AP) — Prosecutors have filed a capital murder charge against an inmate accused of stabbing a guard to death in an east Arkansas prison.
Attorneys filed the formal charge this week in Lee County against 30-year-old Latavious Johnson.
Prison officials say Johnson killed Sgt. Barbara Ester in January while she was investigating whether he had an unauthorized pair of shoes.
Prosecutor Fletcher Long says he's going to allege two aggravated circumstances in the case that he says would justify the death penalty. Investigators say Johnson admitted to stabbing Ester and in a statement said he didn't mean to kill her.
Johnson had been serving a life sentence for killing his father. Court documents don't list an attorney for Johnson. Prisons spokeswoman Shea Wilson says she doesn't know of a lawyer representing him.
©2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
