Accused child killer Zachary Holly was ordered at a hearing in the Benton County Juvenile Justice Center on Thursday (Feb. 14) not to have contact with his wife, Amanda, or her family for the next decade.
The no-contact order was granted by Circuit Judge Tom Smith.
The order stipulates that Holly is to have no physical contact, telephone contact, computer or e-mail contact or contact through another person for 10 years.
The order ends on Feb. 14, 2023.
Amanda Holly recently filed an order of protection against Holly after she says he continually called her from jail, according to court documents.
In one three day span recently, Holly called his wife Amanda 33 times. She did not answer his calls and considers the calls as threatening, according to the protection order.
"His wife which we have blocked her number already because of the previous accusations and now if he does attempt to call a friend to give her a massage or writes her a letter he could be held in contempt of the order for a violation," said Benton County Sheriff's Captain Jeremy Guyll.
Amanda Holly filed the protection order Jan. 16 with the Benton County Circuit Clerk’s Office. Her six-year-old son is also listed on the order.
If Zachary Holly continues to try to contact his wife, he may face misdemeanor violation of a protection order charges, which could bring a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine, according to the Circuit Clerk’s paperwork.
“Since his arrest, he has continued to call me multiple times a day. His family has contacted on a few occasions on his behalf,” Amanda Holly states in the protection order. “I have told him I want him to leave my son and I alone, that we want nothing to do with him. He is still continuing. I have received seven letters from him stating how much he loves and misses my son. I want it to stop.”
Holly remains in the Benton County Jail, where he faces capital murder, rape, burglary and kidnapping charges in the slaying of Bentonville six-year-old Jersey Bridgeman.
Holly pleaded not guilty at his Jan. 7 arraignment to killing, kidnapping and raping Jersey. Benton County Prosecutor Van Stone said he will seek the death penalty against Holly in the case.
Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green gave Holly a pre-trial court date of Feb. 28 in Division 2, where he set to appear before Judge Brad Karren. That hearing is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
However, Circuit Judge Brad Karren has been ordered Holly to undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial. That evaluation at the State Hospital in Little Rock could delay that trial date, officials said.
The suspect has been held in Benton County Jail without bond on an order by Judge Green at the November bond hearing.
Guyll said because of the severity of the crime and the violence from other inmates, holly is an isolated squad.
"Zachary Holly is on protective custody, we cannot let him out around the other inmates. He comes out of his cell for an hour day for his recreation time, therefore that hour he`s free to make as many phone calls as he can make in an hour," said Guyll. "So therefore he is locked in cell for 23 hours a day, he gets to come out one hour day for his recreation time which means he can walk, go outside, use the telephone, take a shower and things like that."
The Bentonville girl, who was found killed Nov. 20, died of asphyxiation, according to an affidavit of probable cause released by authorities.
Jersey lived at 608 S.E. A St. with her mother, who called the police early in the morning Nov. 20 to report her daughter was missing. Officers found Jersey’s body fewer than 15 minutes later, in a nearby vacant house at 704 S.E. A St.
The probable cause affidavit states Holly and his wife babysat Jersey the night of her death while DesaRae Bridgeman and Bridgeman’s boyfriend were working at a nearby convenience store. Holly later carried Jersey back to her house shortly after DesaRae Bridgeman returned around 11 p.m.. He told police he had nothing to do with Jersey’s death, according to the report.
A swab test on Jersey’s body showed traces of sperm, according to the affidavit. Holly consented to cheek swabs for DNA comparison. He also gave authorities clothes he had worn since going to bed the night of Jersey’s death, the report states.
DesaRae Bridgeman called police at about 6:45 a.m. to report her daughter missing. Jersey and her younger sister shared a bed, but Jersey was nowhere to be seen, the report states. Police estimated her death to have been between midnight and 6:45 a.m.
While on the phone with police, Bridgeman became so upset that she had to hand the phone off to Holly’s wife.
While searching for Jersey, an officer noticed the back door to 704 S.E. A St. was open. Jersey’s body was found minutes later inside the vacant house.