Ladwig v. State

David Newbern, Justice.

Larry Ladwig was charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Rakaan Ellsworth, the fifteen-month-old son of Mr. Ladwig’s wife, Stephanie Ells-worth. He was convicted of first-degree murder as that crime is described in Ark. Code Ann. § 5-10-102(a)(3) (Repl. 1993), and sentenced to imprisonment for forty years. On appeal, Mr. Ladwig contends his motion for a directed verdict should have been granted because the State failed to prove that he, in the terminology of the statute, “knowingly caused the death of a person fourteen years of age or younger.” We…