By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Opening arguments were heard Wednesday in the jury trial of an Arkadelphia man accused in the 2022 shooting death of a teenager and an adult.
Whether Chase Langstaff shot the two people was a justifiable act of self defense is the issue at question. The 21-year-old stands accused of two counts of second-degree murder and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
On Dec. 30, 2022, Langstaff allegedly shot 16-year-old Ayden Hendricks and Quartez “Dada” Burton, 24, outside Lark Place Apartments following an armed robbery in which Hendricks and Burton demanded cash and drugs. Hendricks died in the parking lot at the base of Langstaff’s upstairs residence, and Burton succumbed to gunshot wounds at Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia.
Jurors heard testimony throughout the afternoon from several law enforcement officials who investigated the case, as well as girlfriends and relatives of Langstaff and others tied to the incident.
During opening statements, 9th East Prosecuting Attorney Dan Turner acknowledged that the key issue in the case isn’t whether Langstaff pulled the trigger, but rather if he did so in self defense. Turner is pointing to the fact that both victims were shot in the back.
Langstaff’s defense counsel, Conway attorney Tabatha Branch, is arguing that Langstaff simply warded off a pair of masked and armed robbers who targeted him in a dangerous neighborhood, defending both himself and his next-door neighbor.
Proceedings will continue Thursday morning in the Clark County Circuit Courtroom, where Judge Blake Batson is presiding over the case. The trial is expected to last two days.
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