WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A man has been sentenced to 120 years for a Fayetteville murder case.
Samuel Aaron Sean Appling, 24, was arrested in 2020 for the death of John Hurlburt and charged with murder in the first degree, kidnapping and aggravated residential burglary.
According to court documents, a 911 caller said that someone broke into his home and tazed him, and he told police that he hit the intruder over the head with a weight and they both fell off the back porch. The caller identified the man as his daughter’s boyfriend.
A police dispatcher stated that the caller stopped answering questions and that it sounded like there was screaming for help. Deputies arrived shortly before 11:30 p.m. and saw a man running east with reflective material on his back.
The prosecution was originally aiming for the death penalty.