Photo: Eric Guynes
The results of a psychological evaluation of Eric Guynes of Mountain Home, charged with attempted capital murder, first-degree battery and reckless burning, will be challenged, according to his defense lawyer.
Deputy Public Defender Mark Cooper said during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday he will be seeking an independent evaluation of his client, most likely by a mental health professional in Little Rock.
Guynes, who made his court appearance dressed in the white uniform of the state prison system, was asked by Cooper if he agreed with the challenge to the initial test results, and Guynes said he was.
The most serious charges filed against the 43-year-old Guynes stemmed from an incident in late March 2018 in which he is alleged to have attacked a man in the parking lot of a business located along State Highway 201 North.
When Mountain Home police arrived on the scene, they saw a man standing outside a vehicle and noticed the man’s neck was “spurting blood.”
It was learned from the victim that an unknown male — later identified as Guynes — had approached and asked if the victim knew him. The victim told Guynes he was not acquainted with him and turned away. The victim then said he was hit in the back of the head and was also stabbed during the altercation.
He told officers Guynes had attempted to set fire to him and his vehicle.
In a follow-up interview with the victim, it was determined he had been hit from behind dazing him as he was entering his truck. A large rock was then smashed through the window of his vehicle, and he was hit in the side of the head.
The victim told police he was then dragged from his vehicle and stabbed several times in the back, and his throat had been slashed. The victim said he was somehow able to get back into his truck where he pretended to be dead. Guynes then allegedly attempted to set fire to the vehicle with the victim inside.
During the evidence gathering process, it was determined the victim had been stabbed seven times.
The victim was able to give officers a description of his attacker and the vehicle Guynes was driving and a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) radio call was issued.
The stabbing incident was reported about 5 a.m. March 21, 2018. On the same day, and less than two hours later, Mountain Home Police received a call reporting an attempted vehicle theft. The victim said he was dropping his daughter off at daycare. As he was returning to his vehicle from the daycare building, he saw a man inside his truck attempting to close the door.
The owner confronted the man, later identified as Guynes, at which time the Mountain Home man fled the scene.
Police located the victim as he was tailing Guynes and a male who had accompanied him. Guynes and his companion were on foot at this point. Initially, both men were taken into custody. Police determined Guynes also fit the description of the suspect in the stabbing incident earlier that same morning.
The man with Guynes was questioned and eventually released.
Officers reported observing what appeared to be blood on Guynes’ pants and recovered a pocketknife with blood on it.
In addition, keys to the stabbing victim’s vehicle were found in Guynes’ mini-van. The van had reportedly run out of gas. The fact that his vehicle needed fuel was believed to be the reason Guynes had been seeking another ride.
It is not the first time Guynes has been in trouble for sealing or attempting to steal vehicles. In September 2016 Guynes was charged with theft of property stemming from the theft of a pickup truck from the parking lot of a Mountain Home apartment complex.
According to investigative records, Guynes is alleged to have told a man living at the complex he was having trouble with his car and needed a ride.
The man agreed to help Guynes, went back into his apartment to put his shoes on, heard his pickup truck start and saw it drive away. The victim gave chase on foot but was unable to catch the vehicle.
A BOLO message was broadcast for the truck. Less than an hour later, police responded to the Lowe’s parking lot where a report had been made of a “suspicious acting male.”
Police went to the parking lot and found the stolen truck unattended. Guynes was spotted walking between vehicles and away from the officer. He was arrested without incident.
Guynes entered a guilty plea in March 2017 to charges stemming from his theft of the truck from the apartment complex. He was given 10 years in prison, with five to serve and five suspended.
Guynes is serving time in the Cummins Unit of the state prison system at Grady. He was sent back to prison in the earlier truck theft case. The new charges, including the attempted capital murder, resulted in a revocation of his suspended sentence in that earlier case.
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