Judge: Defense Can Test Rape Case In Murder Trial Of Anne Pressly

A Pulaski County judge has approved a defense request for DNA testing of evidence from a Lee County rape case against a man accused of killing a TV news anchor.

Judge Chris Piazza on Friday approved the motion filed by Curtis Lavelle Vance's defense attorneys.

Vance's lawyers say they don't expect their examination to delay the 28-year-old's November capital-murder trial in Little Rock in the slaying of TV news anchor Anne Pressly.

His attorneys argued they need to do their own testing to defend Vance against the rape allegations because Pulaski County prosecutors plan to use the case against Vance in his capital-murder trial.

In the Lee County case, Vance is accused of raping a schoolteacher during an April 2008 break-in at her Marianna home.

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