Area Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison
July 1st, 2024 by Joe Burgess
On July 15, 2023, law enforcement officers from the Desha County Sheriff’s Department, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, and the Arkansas State Police responded to a 911 call where the body of 57-year-old James Petty was found in the middle of Delta Queen Rd. in Arkansas City. The investigation led to the arrest of Christopher McDaniels, the grandson of Mr. Petty’s wife.
On June 20, 2024, a Desha County jury heard evidence about the circumstances of Mr. Petty’s murder. The jury heard testimony from a witness who had seen Mr. McDaniels dragging Mr. Petty’s body from the residence towards the road. The witness also testified that McDaniels squatted on top of Mr. Petty’s body. McDaniels told the witness not to come into his grandmother’s road, referring to the driveway.
Another witness testified they drove by and observed Mr. Petty’s blood-covered body on the road and stopped to see if he could help. While checking on Mr. Petty, Mr. McDaniels appeared and tried to get the witness’s phone from him. The witness testified that McDaniels had a large kitchen knife, was covered in blood, and stated that McDaniels said he had to do it. The witness, concerned for his and his son’s safety, left the scene and called 911.
A third witness testified that earlier that day, he talked to McDaniels, who was agitated because Mr. Petty would not let him in the house. Additionally, McDaniels commented that if it weren’t for his grandmother, he would burn the house down.
Deputy Wanya Green from the Desha County Sheriff’s Office testified about taking Mr. McDaniels in custody. Special Agent Grant Evans with the Arkansas State Police testified about collecting evidence from the scene, which was sent to the state crime lab and sending Mr. Petty’s body to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office for examination.
Witnesses from the Arkansas State Crime Lab and the Medical Examiner’s Office testified about their findings regarding the examination of evidence collected. Testimony included the fact that blood was found on the blade of the knife and Mr. McDaniels’ DNA was found on the handle of the knife. Dr. Kokes testified that during his examination of the body, he observed a combination of 25 stabs or cuts to Mr. Petty. Most of which were around the face, head, and neck of Mr. Petty. Additionally, Dr. Kokes described the stabs to Mr. Petty’s hands and forearms as defensive wounds. Ultimately, the doctor testified that Mr. Petty would’ve lost consciousness and then died from blood loss.
McDaniels testified that he was acting in self-defense and claimed that Mr. Petty stabbed him with the knife first. On cross-examination, McDaniels admitted he was a felon and volunteered that he had served all of his time on his last sentence and “walked it down like Man” and that he did not receive parole. He additionally testified that he was released from prison 25 days before the murder. McDaniels further admitted that he was mad at Mr. Petty because Mr. Petty would not let him in the house and that he told the neighbor that he would burn the house down but for his grandmother. No photographs of any injuries Mr. McDaniels received from the alleged attack by Mr. Petty were entered into evidence, nor did he describe any wounds that he received in the attack.
The jury was sent out to deliberate and quickly found Mr. McDaniels guilty of murder in the first degree.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kelley Fortenberry entered into evidence four sentencing orders that described McDaniels prior felony convictions. Three of the orders were Desha County cases. The first and second orders were entered on April 12, 2017, and McDaniels was convicted of aggravated assault, possession of marijuana with the purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia to facilitate delivery of a controlled substance, and possession of a defaced firearm. He was sentenced to a total of six years in the Department of Correction for those offenses. The third order was entered on January 31, 2018, and he was convicted of the introduction of a controlled substance into the body of another person, and he received an 18-month sentence. In the fourth sentencing order, he was convicted on February 12, 2019, for the offense of felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to four years in the Department of Correction.
During closing remarks in the sentencing portion of the trial, Mr. Petty’s attorneys argued that McDaniels would learn his lesson, that he should be sentenced to a term of years and be given the opportunity to be released on parole at some future date. Prosecuting Attorney Frank Spain argued to the jury that McDaniels’ history and the injuries sustained by Mr. Petty indicated McDaniels was too dangerous to be free. Prosecuting Attorney Spain explained to the jury that in Arkansas, a sentence to life means the sentence is for the rest of the defendant’s life. The jury returned a sentence of life. Circuit Judge Robert B. Gibson III followed the jury’s sentence and ordered Mr. McDaniels to serve the rest of his life in the Department of Correction.
Mr. Spain wants to thank Sheriff Mitch Grant and the deputies of the Desha County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, and the State Medical Examiner’s Office for their excellent performance, dedication to their duties, and professionalism.
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