Fink Conviction Upheld by High Court

BY LEANN DILBECK –

A Mena woman charged with the stabbing death of an 80-year-old Mena man has had her life sentence upheld by the Supreme Court of Arkansas.

Cheyenne Fink, now age 20, was given a lifetime sentence after she was charged with first degree murder in the death of Loyd Cole on the morning of December 3, 2012. Fink was only 17-years old at the time of the incident but was charged as an adult in a case that shocked the local community.

According to the opinion issued by Associate Justice Rhonda K. Wood on September 24, Fink had argued that the Polk County Circuit Court had “erred by not granting her a directed verdict for acquittal on her affirmative defense of mental disease or defect.” She also contended that the “State had failed to introduce substantial evidence that, given her mental condition, she acted with the purpose of causing death to Cole.” The victim had been stabbed 36-times while he took his routine morning walk.  She also argued that the State had violated her right to a fair trial.

Fink will continue to serve her life sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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