BENTON COUNTY (KFSM) — A Bella Vista man convicted of the rape and murder of his 6-year-old son nearly three years ago, whose capital murder conviction was overturned earlier this year, will be have a new trial next January.
Mauricio Alejandro Torres, 45, of Bella Vista was arrested in April 2015 in the death of Maurice "Isaiah" Torres, who died March 29 of 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.
Mauricio Torres was convicted of capital murder and first-degree battery on Nov. 15, 2016, in Isaiah's death. Torres was sentenced to death.
The Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that Torres should have his conviction overturned and should receive a new trial on the stipulations that the crime happened while Torres' was camping in Missouri with his family.
Because of this, they said, Arkansas authorities couldn't use rape to substantiate the capital murder conviction.