Jury convicts Marianna man in death of TV anchorwoman LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS (UALR Public Radio) - Click above to listen to FM 89's Michael Hibblen, who covered the verdict.

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A man was convicted of capital murder today for beating an Arkansas TV anchorwoman so brutally that her face was shattered and she never regained consciousness before dying five days later. Curtis Lavelle Vance could face the death penalty for the assault on Anne Pressly at her bungalow in Little Rock. The same jury that convicted him reconvened to hear testimony about whether he should be put to death or imprisoned without the possibility of parole.

After the verdict, Pressly's mother, Patti Cannady, raised a hand and said, "Praise God. Praise God." She later burst into sobs.

Vance, who is from Marianna, was also convicted of residential burglary, rape and theft of property in the Oct. 20, 2008, attack. Once jurors delivered the guilty verdict, Vance gestured toward the empty jury box, pointed to his eyes and ears and shook his head.

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