Motive unknown in anchorwoman attack - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

ABlairican Pie · 10-24-2008, 01:32 AM

Motive unknown in anchorwoman attack

Little Rock’s Anne Pressly is in critical condition: ‘Does not have an enemy’

TODAY staff and wire

updated 5:44 a.m. PT, Thurs., Oct. 23, 2008

Popular and beautiful Anne Pressly, an up-and-coming Little Rock, Ark., news anchor, had dinner with a friend, talked about her small role in the movie “W.” and went home, where she exchanged cheery text messages. And then she was beaten nearly to death.

While the 26-year-old Pressly remains in critical but stable condition in a Little Rock hospital, her family, many friends and police are all trying to discover who would have attacked a person who is said to have had no enemies, and why.

“If there’s one person that does not have an enemy, it is Anne Pressly,” Mallory Hardin told TODAY’s Matt Lauer from Little Rock Tuesday, a day after the attack. “She’s wonderful to everybody. She’s the most loving girl that anyone could ever meet; [she] is so kind to every stranger. She goes out of her way to help other people.”

Oct. 21: Anne Pressly, a popular TV anchor in Arkansas, is in critical condition after being found beaten in her home. Police spokeswoman Cassandra Davis and Pressly’s friend Mallory Hardin discuss the crime.

Random break-in?
Hardin is a reporter for NBC affiliate KARK in Little Rock and a close friend of Pressly’s, who recently became the morning news anchor at ABC’s Little Rock affiliate, KATV.

Little Rock Police spokeswoman Cassandra Davis, who also talked via satellite with Lauer, said that police are looking into whether Pressly may have been attacked because of her celebrity. They are also considering the possibility that she was a victim of a random break-in. Pressly’s purse and some personal belongings were missing from her home, Davis said, although there was no sign of forced entry into her home.

The attack occurred sometime between 10:30 Sunday night, after Pressly exchanged text messages with her friend, Hardin, and 4:30 Monday morning, when her mother, Patricia Cannady, discovered her bloody and unconscious in her bed. Cannady was in the habit of giving her daughter a wake-up call every morning before Pressly went to work at KATV’s “Daybreak” show. When Pressly didn’t answer her phone, her mother went to her house.

Because of all the blood, police initially thought Pressly had been stabbed, but KATV, citing police sources, reported that she had suffered blunt trauma injuries to her head and body.

“This is surreal that this could happen to her,” Hardin told Lauer.

‘A shock to everybody’
Hardin said that she had seen her friend Sunday evening.

“We had a great dinner. She was happy, bubbly as always, everything was wonderful,” Hardin recalled. “After we went to dinner, I went with some people to see her movie, ‘W.,’ to see her role, and she wanted me to text her and let her know how she did. And of course, she did incredible. And I texted her to let her know.

“She texted back about 9:30 that she was so happy we thought she did good … a bubbly, wonderful text like she always sent.”

Although Davis said that police are investigating the possibility that Pressly was attacked by a stalker, Hardin said her friend never talked about any unwelcome attention from fans or viewers.

“She’s never said anything to me about any type of stalker,” Hardin said. “This is just a shock to everybody.”

“We do not have any police reports in our department in reference to any stalking,” Davis added. “We are talking to co-workers and family and friends and trying to determine if there was anybody that had an unusual interest in Miss Pressly.”

‘So much sorrow’
After talking to Lauer, Davis expanded on her statement to local reporters, saying, “[It] is possible that it is something other than robbery. Our detectives are talking with co-workers because she was a public figure, because she was on the news, in the media.”

In a message posted on the KATV Web site, Dale Nicholson, the station’s president and general manager, said that Pressly “is a person who simply lights up the room, by just walking in … I know her viewers will join her family as well as the KATV family in praying for a speedy recovery for Anne, who means so much to all of our staff.”

Hardin, who fought to keep her emotions in check during the interview, talked with Lauer about trying to cope with what happened to her friend.

“It’s so hard for everybody right now; so hard for her family, so hard for her friends,” Hardin said. “She’s touched so many in this community, so we’ve all been grieving. Doctors have hope at this point, but they say at this point she’s still in critical condition and it’s going to be a very long road to recovery. There’s so much grieving, so much sorrow in this town for a girl who is so loved.”

— Mike Celizic, with reporting from the Associated Press.

© 2008 MSNBC Interactive

Chocoholic · 10-25-2008, 11:04 AM

I pray she makes a full recovery and that they find the monster who did this.

AB · 10-25-2008, 02:45 PM

What a terrible thing to have happened to her.

Janice · 10-25-2008, 02:56 PM

How awful. To be beaten like that, I can't even imagine. I can't even watch people get beaten in movies. She had to suffer unimaginable horror. I pray she pulls through and they catch the monster who did this to her.

browneyes106 · 10-25-2008, 04:50 PM

I feel bad for Anne. I hope they find the person who harmed her. The police are looking at it as a stalking case.

Zoneboy · 10-25-2008, 09:14 PM

Link

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ An Arkansas television anchorwoman found beaten at her home earlier this week has died from her injuries.

Hospital officials say Anne Pressly, 26, died Saturday at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Margaret Preston says family members declined to release any other details about Pressly's death.

Pressly was beaten around the head, face and neck during the attack. She had been unable to communicate with her family or police, while being kept sedated in the intensive care unit.

Pressly was discovered Monday morning a half-hour before she was to appear on ABC affiliate KATV's "Daybreak" program. Her mother went to the woman's home after she didn't answer her regular wake-up call.

Police have yet to identify a suspect in the attack.

ABlairican Pie · 10-25-2008, 11:04 PM

That is so sad. She was young, beautiful, full of life and love. It just proves my point that no matter what, no matter how optimistic I feel generally toward members of the human race, people are cruel. People will act out the worst violence toward people least deserving of it. The beautiful, the kind, the loving, those full of joy and having positive prospects in life. And there are those scumbags of society who get away with it. To kill again. No remorse.

I hope they find the person who did this and fry him to a crisp. I would like to see his face when he realizes what he's done as they flick the switch. No mercy to him as he showed no mercy to her. NONE.

Why does God let this happen? Why do the beautiful and the kind suffer and die horribly from the hands of others? Where is God's justice??

WHERE????

browneyes106 · 10-25-2008, 11:27 PM

I just read about Anne's death. This is tragic. May she rest in peace. Now we need to pray for justice and the safety of people like her who are in the public eye through journalism. Anne's story reminds of Jodie Huisentruit case. Jodie was anchorwoman in Mason City, Iowa who disappeared in 1995.
http://www.findjodi.com/

HuntingtonM15 · 10-26-2008, 12:15 AM

That is so awful. RIP Anne

Janice · 10-26-2008, 02:22 PM

I felt so sad when I heard she died. Dear God, what a way to die. Sounds personal to me, but I'm no expert. I just hope they catch the animal who did this.

Schmoopie · 10-26-2008, 10:52 PM

Absolutely terrible and so sad! People who do things like this should be put away for life-or worse!

Andrea

Lee · 10-27-2008, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

That is so sad. She was young, beautiful, full of life and love. It just proves my point that no matter what, no matter how optimistic I feel generally toward members of the human race, people are cruel. People will act out the worst violence toward people least deserving of it. The beautiful, the kind, the loving, those full of joy and having positive prospects in life. And there are those scumbags of society who get away with it. To kill again. No remorse.

I hope they find the person who did this and fry him to a crisp. I would like to see his face when he realizes what he's done as they flick the switch. No mercy to him as he showed no mercy to her. NONE.

Why does God let this happen? Why do the beautiful and the kind suffer and die horribly from the hands of others? Where is God's justice??

WHERE????

I know it may be tempting to want to blame god, but that is not the answer-
sometimes there is just evil in this world and there always will be. One thing
that helps me get through things like this everyday is my faith in god as a
christian.

sunshinefizzy · 10-27-2008, 01:13 PM

I feel a lot better knowing she's in a better place. Much better than this piece of dump world. Being at peace in heaven instead of going through life petrified of everyone around her.

InspectorExstead · 10-27-2008, 06:30 PM

my gosh. how horrible. i was hoping she'd recover, but she was beaten so badly. who would want to kill her? she was so beautiful, young and full of life. it's so tragic and not fair. i hope they find whoever's responsible for this and punish them to the fullest extent of the law.

Zoneboy · 11-27-2008, 12:53 AM

Link

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Police were searching Wednesday for a man charged with capital murder in the October beating death of Little Rock television anchor Anne Pressly.

Police Chief Stuart Thomas said at a news conference that the charge against Curtis Lavelle Vance, 28, of Marianna, was "a very, very solid case due to solid detective work," but he declined to elaborate.

Vance left his home Wednesday afternoon accompanied by a 25-year-old woman and three children under the age of five, police said. He frequently visited the Little Rock area, about 90 miles west of Marianna, and has a lot of contacts there, Thomas said.

"He knows we're looking for him," said Lt. Terry Hastings, police spokesman.

Police said Vance was thought to be driving a black 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora with 22-inch rims and temporary license plates. They also said they believed he was armed with a 9 mm pistol.

Pressley's mother found her Oct. 20, a half-hour before she was due on KATV's 5 a.m. "Daybreak" program. Pressly's head and upper body had been beaten. She never regained consciousness and died five days later.

10-24-2008, 01:32 AM	#1
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,620	Motive unknown in anchorwoman attack Motive unknown in anchorwoman attack Little Rock’s Anne Pressly is in critical condition: ‘Does not have an enemy’ TODAY staff and wire updated 5:44 a.m. PT, Thurs., Oct. 23, 2008 Popular and beautiful Anne Pressly, an up-and-coming Little Rock, Ark., news anchor, had dinner with a friend, talked about her small role in the movie “W.” and went home, where she exchanged cheery text messages. And then she was beaten nearly to death. While the 26-year-old Pressly remains in critical but stable condition in a Little Rock hospital, her family, many friends and police are all trying to discover who would have attacked a person who is said to have had no enemies, and why. “If there’s one person that does not have an enemy, it is Anne Pressly,” Mallory Hardin told TODAY’s Matt Lauer from Little Rock Tuesday, a day after the attack. “She’s wonderful to everybody. She’s the most loving girl that anyone could ever meet; [she] is so kind to every stranger. She goes out of her way to help other people.” Oct. 21: Anne Pressly, a popular TV anchor in Arkansas, is in critical condition after being found beaten in her home. Police spokeswoman Cassandra Davis and Pressly’s friend Mallory Hardin discuss the crime. Random break-in? Hardin is a reporter for NBC affiliate KARK in Little Rock and a close friend of Pressly’s, who recently became the morning news anchor at ABC’s Little Rock affiliate, KATV. Little Rock Police spokeswoman Cassandra Davis, who also talked via satellite with Lauer, said that police are looking into whether Pressly may have been attacked because of her celebrity. They are also considering the possibility that she was a victim of a random break-in. Pressly’s purse and some personal belongings were missing from her home, Davis said, although there was no sign of forced entry into her home. The attack occurred sometime between 10:30 Sunday night, after Pressly exchanged text messages with her friend, Hardin, and 4:30 Monday morning, when her mother, Patricia Cannady, discovered her bloody and unconscious in her bed. Cannady was in the habit of giving her daughter a wake-up call every morning before Pressly went to work at KATV’s “Daybreak” show. When Pressly didn’t answer her phone, her mother went to her house. Because of all the blood, police initially thought Pressly had been stabbed, but KATV, citing police sources, reported that she had suffered blunt trauma injuries to her head and body. “This is surreal that this could happen to her,” Hardin told Lauer. ‘A shock to everybody’ Hardin said that she had seen her friend Sunday evening. “We had a great dinner. She was happy, bubbly as always, everything was wonderful,” Hardin recalled. “After we went to dinner, I went with some people to see her movie, ‘W.,’ to see her role, and she wanted me to text her and let her know how she did. And of course, she did incredible. And I texted her to let her know. “She texted back about 9:30 that she was so happy we thought she did good … a bubbly, wonderful text like she always sent.” Although Davis said that police are investigating the possibility that Pressly was attacked by a stalker, Hardin said her friend never talked about any unwelcome attention from fans or viewers. “She’s never said anything to me about any type of stalker,” Hardin said. “This is just a shock to everybody.” “We do not have any police reports in our department in reference to any stalking,” Davis added. “We are talking to co-workers and family and friends and trying to determine if there was anybody that had an unusual interest in Miss Pressly.” ‘So much sorrow’ After talking to Lauer, Davis expanded on her statement to local reporters, saying, “[It] is possible that it is something other than robbery. Our detectives are talking with co-workers because she was a public figure, because she was on the news, in the media.” In a message posted on the KATV Web site, Dale Nicholson, the station’s president and general manager, said that Pressly “is a person who simply lights up the room, by just walking in … I know her viewers will join her family as well as the KATV family in praying for a speedy recovery for Anne, who means so much to all of our staff.” Hardin, who fought to keep her emotions in check during the interview, talked with Lauer about trying to cope with what happened to her friend. “It’s so hard for everybody right now; so hard for her family, so hard for her friends,” Hardin said. “She’s touched so many in this community, so we’ve all been grieving. Doctors have hope at this point, but they say at this point she’s still in critical condition and it’s going to be a very long road to recovery. There’s so much grieving, so much sorrow in this town for a girl who is so loved.” — Mike Celizic, with reporting from the Associated Press. © 2008 MSNBC Interactive
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion

10-25-2008, 09:14 PM	#6
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	Anne Pressly has Passed Away Link LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ An Arkansas television anchorwoman found beaten at her home earlier this week has died from her injuries. Hospital officials say Anne Pressly, 26, died Saturday at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Margaret Preston says family members declined to release any other details about Pressly's death. Pressly was beaten around the head, face and neck during the attack. She had been unable to communicate with her family or police, while being kept sedated in the intensive care unit. Pressly was discovered Monday morning a half-hour before she was to appear on ABC affiliate KATV's "Daybreak" program. Her mother went to the woman's home after she didn't answer her regular wake-up call. Police have yet to identify a suspect in the attack.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

10-25-2008, 11:04 PM	#7
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,620	RIP Anne. That is so sad. She was young, beautiful, full of life and love. It just proves my point that no matter what, no matter how optimistic I feel generally toward members of the human race, people are cruel. People will act out the worst violence toward people least deserving of it. The beautiful, the kind, the loving, those full of joy and having positive prospects in life. And there are those scumbags of society who get away with it. To kill again. No remorse. I hope they find the person who did this and fry him to a crisp. I would like to see his face when he realizes what he's done as they flick the switch. No mercy to him as he showed no mercy to her. NONE. Why does God let this happen? Why do the beautiful and the kind suffer and die horribly from the hands of others? Where is God's justice?? *WHERE????*

10-26-2008, 10:52 PM	#11
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	Absolutely terrible and so sad! People who do things like this should be put away for life-or worse! Andrea
	__________________ In memory of my wonderful husband. I love and miss you more than words can say, but I will always and forever keep you in my heart. September 23, 1961-January 14, 2019

10-27-2008, 06:30 PM	#14
InspectorExstead Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Oct 29, 2001 Location: The Golden State Posts: 12,902	my gosh. how horrible. i was hoping she'd recover, but she was beaten so badly. who would want to kill her? she was so beautiful, young and full of life. it's so tragic and not fair. i hope they find whoever's responsible for this and punish them to the fullest extent of the law.
	__________________ They killed my sister because she asked: "Where is my vote?" http://sosiran.com/ http://tapeshhd.com/index.php

10-25-2008, 11:04 AM	#2
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	I pray she makes a full recovery and that they find the monster who did this.

10-25-2008, 02:45 PM	#3
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,429	What a terrible thing to have happened to her.

10-25-2008, 02:56 PM	#4
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	How awful. To be beaten like that, I can't even imagine. I can't even watch people get beaten in movies. She had to suffer unimaginable horror. I pray she pulls through and they catch the monster who did this to her.

10-25-2008, 04:50 PM	#5
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	I feel bad for Anne. I hope they find the person who harmed her. The police are looking at it as a stalking case.

10-25-2008, 11:27 PM	#8
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	I just read about Anne's death. This is tragic. May she rest in peace. Now we need to pray for justice and the safety of people like her who are in the public eye through journalism. Anne's story reminds of Jodie Huisentruit case. Jodie was anchorwoman in Mason City, Iowa who disappeared in 1995. http://www.findjodi.com/

10-26-2008, 12:15 AM	#9
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	That is so awful. RIP Anne

10-26-2008, 02:22 PM	#10
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	I felt so sad when I heard she died. Dear God, what a way to die. Sounds personal to me, but I'm no expert. I just hope they catch the animal who did this.

10-27-2008, 01:13 PM	#13
sunshinefizzy Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 27, 2006 Location: Craptown Posts: 2,054	I feel a lot better knowing she's in a better place. Much better than this piece of dump world. Being at peace in heaven instead of going through life petrified of everyone around her.

11-27-2008, 12:53 AM	#15
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	Police Charge Arkansas Man in TV Anchorwoman's Death Link LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Police were searching Wednesday for a man charged with capital murder in the October beating death of Little Rock television anchor Anne Pressly. Police Chief Stuart Thomas said at a news conference that the charge against Curtis Lavelle Vance, 28, of Marianna, was "a very, very solid case due to solid detective work," but he declined to elaborate. Vance left his home Wednesday afternoon accompanied by a 25-year-old woman and three children under the age of five, police said. He frequently visited the Little Rock area, about 90 miles west of Marianna, and has a lot of contacts there, Thomas said. "He knows we're looking for him," said Lt. Terry Hastings, police spokesman. Police said Vance was thought to be driving a black 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora with 22-inch rims and temporary license plates. They also said they believed he was armed with a 9 mm pistol. Pressley's mother found her Oct. 20, a half-hour before she was due on KATV's 5 a.m. "Daybreak" program. Pressly's head and upper body had been beaten. She never regained consciousness and died five days later.