Beverly Carter
(AP Photo/Arkansas Department of Correction via AP)
It took less than an hour for an Arkansas jury to convict Arron Lewis of the murder of Arkansas Realtor Beverly Carter.
The trial started last week. Lewis was charged with kidnapping and capital murder — meaning he was eligible for the death penalty. He was given a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for the capital murder charge, and he was also given life in prison for kidnapping.
Lewis claimed that Carter was not kidnapped, but went with him willingly. He claimed that she died when he was away from the house where she was being held, and he said he didn’t call 911 to report the death because he wanted to protect his estranged wife, Crystal Lowery.
Lowery was sentenced to 30 years in prison last year after pleading guilty and agreeing to testify against Lewis.
Since Carter’s death, the issue of agent safety has become a hot topic in the real estate industry. New tools, apps and organizations have emerged to help agents stay safe on the job, from personal alarms to coalitions of companies willing to provide a safe meeting space for agents and potential clients.