Mark Edward Chumley v. State of Arkansas

Summary

The court affirmed Chumley's capital-murder conviction and life sentence, holding that substantial evidence supported the jury's finding that he caused Tori's death with premeditated and deliberated purpose. The evidence showed that Chumley participated in and directed an hours-long beating, rape, and torture, had a motive to kill Tori, helped conceal the evidence, and made statements corroborating the accomplices' testimony. Because the intentional-murder theory independently supported the general capital-murder verdict, the court did not address the alternative felony-murder or first-degree-murder arguments.