(AP) – A Benton County jury will consider whether a Bella
Vista man should be executed for the 2015 death of his son following an assault
with a stick.
The panel Monday convicted 45-year-old Mauricio Torres of capital murder and
first-degree battery. Six-year-old Maurice Isaiah Torres died March 30, 2015,
after being sodomized.
Prosecutor Nathan Smith said the boy suffered “sexual torture,” plus “horrific
abuse” at the hands of his father and mother. Defense lawyer Bill James told
jurors there was no proof the case involved sexual gratification and said Torres
didn’t know his actions could kill the boy.
The mother is set for trial in May.
Jurors took about an hour to convicted Mauricio Torres. The panel took a break
just before the prosecutor’s final argument after one juror started crying.
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