BENTONVILLE, Ark — After numerous setbacks in the case, a jury trial for a Bella Vista man accused of maliciously killing his 6-year-old son has been canceled.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for 50-year-old Mauricio Torres of Bella Vista. He has been charged with capital murder and battery.
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren signed an order Tuesday (May 12) canceling Torres's jury trial set for August 24, according to the office of Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren.
It's unclear what will happen next for Torres or when another trail will be rescheduled. The reason for the August trail being canceled was not released. The court will set a new trial date in the future.
Torres has been convicted of murder and battery twice already.
In 2016, he was tried and sentenced to death for the murder of his son, Isaiah, but the state Supreme Court overturned the conviction and order Torres to have a new trial. The state Supreme Court claimed prosecutors didn't demonstrate its case for the death penalty.
Torres was convicted of the same charges again in March 2020. However, a mistrial was declared after a courtroom scuffle between Torres and his stepson.
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has filed a petition with the state Supreme Court to uphold Mauricio Torres' guilty verdicts. If the petition is granted, it would overrule the Benton County judge's decision, and a jury would only have to decide Torres' punishment.
Torres was arrested in April 2015 in the death of Maurice "Isaiah" Torres, who died earlier that year. Investigators say Torres used a stick to sexually assault his son while the family was camping in Missouri. The boy died at an Arkansas hospital a day after the assault.
His wife, Cathy, is serving life in prison for Isaiah's death after taking a plea deal.