PEA RIDGE, Ark. — A Benton County jury has found Shawna Cash guilty of killing a Pea Ridge Police Department (PRPD) officer in 2021.
Cash was found guilty of capital murder, two counts of aggravated assault, fleeing, and obstructing government operations.
The verdict was determined after jury deliberations on Feb. 7 and 8, two days after the state rested its case in Cash's capital murder trial.
Although jury selection began on Jan. 29, the first full day of the trial was on Monday, Feb. 5.
The prosecution called at least 11 witnesses during the first full day of the trial, including an officer who was on the scene at the time of the incident. The gallery was filled with spectators watching as prosecutors argued Cash "made a choice" when she hit and killed Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple with a car in 2021.
While on the stand, Officer Stamps recalled the scene and said he heard and saw Cash drive as fast as she could away from the gas station as Apple told her to “stop.” Stamps said Apple repeatedly yelled at Cash, "Don't do it.” As Cash drove away, Stamps said he fired his service weapon multiple times in an effort to stop her.
Other testimonies on Monday came from Fayetteville and Farmington officers who had previous run-ins with Cash within the year prior to the 2021 incident.
On Friday, Feb. 9, after the conviction but before sentencing, two former elementary school teachers of Cash testified that they remembered her as a quiet kid with very few friends. Reports from the Arkansas Department of Human Services were introduced that reportedly stated Cash would show up to school with infected tick bites and health issues, which led to a hospital stay and even reports of sexual abuse.
The prosecution also showed the jury photos, drone video, and hard evidence of the crime scene.
On the second full day of trial, pedestrian witnesses in the area recalled the day of the incident, with one witness saying he ran straight towards Apple's body after noticing it in the street.
The courts have entered their sentencing phase now, and 5NEWS will update this article as more information becomes available.
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