Man convicted of murder in stabbing death

A Blytheville man was sentenced to 80 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder Thursday.

Shawn Rainer, 38, of 1100 Willow St., Apt. 109 in Blytheville, was found guilty in the June 2009 stabbing death of Takina Douglas, 27. The two shared the Willow Street apartment at the time of her death.

Rainer was charged with first-degree murder, but the state did not seek the death penalty. The jury, after deliberating for two and a half hours, instead found Rainer guilty of the lesser charge.

After hearing additional evidence during the sentencing phase of the trial, specifically that Rainer had already been convicted of second-degree murder in 1998, the jury deliberated only about 30 minutes before returning with the sentence.

The state, represented by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Curtis Walker Jr., rested after only one additional witness Thursday. That witness was Wes Sossamon, a latent fingerprint examiner from the Arkansas Crime Laboratory.

He said that Rainer's fingerprint was on the blade of the knife used to stab Douglas. A second partial fingerprint could not be identified, Sossamon said. But it could not be excluded as being put on the knife by Rainer.

On cross-examination, Rainer's defense attorney, Bill Stanley, asked Sossamon if the fingerprint could have gotten on the knife during a struggle Rainer and Douglas had over the knife before she was wounded. Sossamon said the right thumb print appeared flat on the blade.

Walker asked Sossamon if the print could have gotten on the blade when it was held in an "aggressive" position. The answer was affirmative.

Stanley put no witnesses on the stand in Rainer's defense.

During closing arguments, Stanley maintained that Rainer and Douglas were fighting that day and that Rainer was attempting to leave the apartment. Douglas brandished the knife to keep Rainer from leaving. Douglas tripped over a telephone cord and fell onto the knife, Stanley said.

In his closing, Walker told jurors that the way the knife entered Douglas' right side, it would have been nearly impossible that it had been a fall.

Walker also asked the jury to find some answers. For example, if the stabbing were an accident, why did the victim call police?

"She's in bad shape, why is she calling 911?" Walker asked.

Stanley maintained that Rainer had taken Douglas to the phone. "Why didn't he bring the phone to her?" Walker asked.

After testimony concluded, Stanley made a motion for a directed verdict, claiming the state had not proven its case. After discussion and deliberation, Circuit Judge John Fogleman of Marion denied Stanley's motion.

In addition to the 80-year prison term, Rainer was also assessed a fine of $15,000. Fogleman estimated that Rainer will be 55 years old before he is eligible for parole.

dhilton@blythevillecourier.com