A number of motions were filed by defense attorneys Thursday in the capital murder case of Rick Headley, accused of stabbing his estranged wife to death March 13th.
Headley has pled not guilty to charges of capital murder, false imprisonment, terroristic threatening, aggravated assault, violation of a protective order and criminal trespass.
Two lawyers from the Arkansas Public Defender Commission, appointed to defend the 43-year-old Headley, appeared during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Among the motions filed by Katherine Streett and Joe Tobler from the commission are ones asking the court to prohibit pre-trial publicity, require investigating officers to maintain any “rough notes” taken, and to prevent broadcasting, recording or photographing of the proceedings.
The motions are of the type generally filed in capital murder cases. While prosecutors have not officially announced whether they will seek the death penalty for Headley, both Streett and Tobler are “death qualified” attorneys trained to handle such cases.
According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, Mountain Home Police were called to the Dollar General Store on State Highway 5 South about 10 p.m. March 13th. When officers entered the store, they reported finding 38-year-old Kirstie Headley, a store employee, lying on the floor.
Rick Headley is alleged to have entered the store, grabbed his estranged wife by the shirt and dragged her outside. Witnesses told officers they saw Rick Headley with a knife in his right hand and saw him stab his estranged wife several times.
Video surveillance cameras at the store captured scenes of Kirstie Headley walking back into the store holding her chest. They reported she was covered with blood. Emergency medical personnel arrived and transported the victim to Baxter Regional Medical Center where she died a short time later.
Officers reported Rick Headley fled the scene and was captured a few hours later. He is reported to have told officers he went to his estranged wife’s place of employment with the intention of killing her and interviews with family members have since confirmed his intentions.
Kirstie Headley has filed two affidavits seeking orders of protection to keep Rick Headley away from her. In both, she mentions he had threatened her with a knife and in one instance had allegedly stabbed her in the left hip. She wrote in one of the affidavits Rick Headley had become more obsessive and controlling in the relationship.
Rick Headley was captured after a friend of his called the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office and reported Headley was at the friend’s home and wanted to surrender. Law officers converged at the address and took Headley into custody.
He is being held in the Baxter County Detention Center with no bond set. He was ordered to reappear in circuit court June 28th.
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