For the second time, a Miller County jury has found Marvin Arrell Stanton guilty of murder and sentenced him to life plus 15 years in the Sept. 25, 2015, death of Jesse Hamilton.
Hamilton, 22, was parked at the Raceway gas station and convenience store on State Line Ave. in Texarkana, Ark., when Stanton approached and told him to, “Move your f****** truck.”
When Hamilton got the best of Stanton in a short fight, Stanton pulled a .45 caliber pistol, turned on its laser sight and shot Hamilton once in the gut. Hamilton, a husband and father, died a short time later at a local hospital.
Stanton was found guilty of murder in May 2016. That jury sentenced him to life and an additional 15 years for a firearms enhancement. An Arkansas appellate court overturned Stanton’s conviction and sent the case back to Miller County Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson for a new trial.
Stanton’s newest jury reached the same conclusion as the first, Stanton should pay for his misconduct with a maximum term.
Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Potter Barrett and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cotten called Stanton a bully who was enraged when Hamilton got the upper hand physically. During the punishment phase of Stanton’s trial Wednesday afternoon, the jury heard from another man who Stanton threatened with a gun and from a woman Stanton once punched in the face.
Stanton was taken into custody and taken to the Miller County jail Wednesday evening. He will remain there until he is transported to the Arkansas Department of Correction. There is no parole from a life sentence in the state of Arkansas.
