A Jefferson Count man currently serving a prison sentence for manslaughter failed to convince the Arkansas Court of Appeals that the evidence against him was insufficient to justify his sentence.
Zachary Vermillion was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Tony Jones on Jan. 6, 2021 and with a firearm enhancement was sentenced to 25-years in prison after a jury chose a lesser sentence.
Jones was shot in the back of a pickup truck driven by Vermillion and was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed Jones was under the influence of methamphetamine.
In his appeal, Vermillion contended that he was justified in shooting Jones but when his attorney moved for a directed verdict, contending prosecutors did not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt their case, the attorney failed to identify any specific element that the state failed to disprove.
Because of that, the appeals court could not consider Vermillion’s argument.
Vermillion is serving his sentence at the Tucker Unit of the Department of Corrections and will be eligible to apply for parole on Feb. 6, 2027.
