Conway Doctor Convicted of Raping Child Says He Didn't Do It
By: Jonathan Athens, KARK 4 News
Updated: September 14, 2012
A Conway doctor convicted of raping a child says he didn't do it and plans to appeal his conviction, says that man's defense attorney.
Jurors early Thursday afternoon sentenced 39-year-old Dr. Byron Beaver to 90 years in prison, or 30 years for each of the three felony rape charges.
Prosecutor Cody Hiland said, "Since the Supreme Court won't let us seek the death penalty for these monsters who rape children, I guess that's all we can ask the jury to do."
People we spoke with in the community expressed their outrage over the crime but said they felt the sentence was appropriate.
"I think this is just horrible," said Jule Turner, a Greenbrier mother of two. "The sentence is just fine in my opinion because hopefully he won't get out of prison."
Beaver's defense attorney, John Wesley Hall, told KARK that Beaver maintains he is innocent and will appeal.
The attorney representing the mother of the victim said the child and his family are trying to cope with what happened. The path for them moving forward, said David Hogue, is not going to be easy.
"Twenty years from now when a child who has gone through this is ready to get married, they're going to remember this, when they become parents they are going to remember this...it's going to affect them the rest of their lives and not in a good way,"Hogue said.
KARK sought a jailhouse interview with Beaver but the sheriff's department would not allow it.
Beaver remains in the Faulkner County jail pending his transfer to a state prison.
Jurors early Thursday afternoon sentenced 39-year-old Dr. Byron Beaver to 90 years in prison, or 30 years for each of the three felony rape charges.
Prosecutor Cody Hiland said, "Since the Supreme Court won't let us seek the death penalty for these monsters who rape children, I guess that's all we can ask the jury to do."
People we spoke with in the community expressed their outrage over the crime but said they felt the sentence was appropriate.
"I think this is just horrible," said Jule Turner, a Greenbrier mother of two. "The sentence is just fine in my opinion because hopefully he won't get out of prison."
Beaver's defense attorney, John Wesley Hall, told KARK that Beaver maintains he is innocent and will appeal.
The attorney representing the mother of the victim said the child and his family are trying to cope with what happened. The path for them moving forward, said David Hogue, is not going to be easy.
"Twenty years from now when a child who has gone through this is ready to get married, they're going to remember this, when they become parents they are going to remember this...it's going to affect them the rest of their lives and not in a good way,"Hogue said.
KARK sought a jailhouse interview with Beaver but the sheriff's department would not allow it.
Beaver remains in the Faulkner County jail pending his transfer to a state prison.
Comments
My crude take on this...IF he survives , he'll be out in 15...but "[censored]" will be the last thing on his mind...nice that Arkansas law lets the jury determine the sentence...
Peter D.
September 13, 2012 at 5:39 pm
