19-Year-Old Gets 42 Years for 2017 Murder of Arkansas Lieutenant

On Tuesday, 19-year-old Derrick Heard pleaded guilty to multiple charges stemming from an incident involving the murder of Lieutenant Patrick Weatherford of the Newport (AR) Police Department in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Heard was only 16-years-old when he was formally charged as an adult with capital murder in the death of Lt. Weatherford in July 2017. He was also charged with attempted capital murder, breaking or entering theft of property, and possession of a handgun by a minor, KATV reports.

Heard shot and killed Weatherford during a foot pursuit over a car burglary.

According to a press release from prosecuting attorney Henry Boyce, on October 6, 2020, the Honorable Harold Erwin accepted Heard's guilty plea, and sentenced him to the following charges:

•             First-degree murder, class Y felony-24 years

•             Attempted capital murder, class Y felony-24 years

•             Breaking and entering, class D felony-6 years

•             Theft of property, class D felony- 6 years

•             Possession of Handgun, class D felony- 6 years

The first-degree murder and attempted capital murder sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The breaking and entering, theft of property, and handgun charges were ordered to run consecutively to each other and to the murder and attempted capital murder charges. In total, Heard is sentenced to 42 years in the Department of Corrections.