The Arkansas Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction and 35-year prison sentence of a Little Rock man found guilty of raping a woman at a homeless encampment, closing out a case that a Pulaski County jury decided in under an hour of deliberation last year.
According to The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the appellate court upheld the sentence for the now 53-year-old man. Earlier reporting identified him as Rickey Lee Whitley, who was convicted of terroristic threatening and two counts of rape after a Pulaski County jury trial, as reported by arkansasonline.com.
The case centered on the rape of a 20-year-old woman at a Little Rock homeless encampment, according to nwaonline.com's coverage of the original trial. At the time of that 2025 report, Whitley was 52 years old.
Jury Moved Quickly on Verdict and Sentence
The jury that convicted Whitley did not take long to make up its mind. Jurors deliberated for about 45 minutes before reaching their verdict, then spent roughly another 30 minutes deciding on his sentence, per the same arkansasonline.com account of the trial.
Whitley's criminal history played a significant role in the stakes of his sentencing. As a habitual offender with at least four felony convictions, he faced a potential life sentence with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, the outlet reported, underscoring how much was riding on the jury's rapid decision.
What the Appeal Covered
Details of the Court of Appeals' written reasoning in the November decision have not been made public in available reporting, and it remains unclear what specific arguments Whitley's appeal raised or how the court addressed them. The affirmance effectively leaves his 35-year prison term intact.
