LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An 83-year-old Arkansas man will become parole eligible after receiving a commutation of his 1965 murder sentence by Governor Asa Hutchinson.
The governor made the announcement Tuesday afternoon along with 42 pardons and another commutation.
Samuel Billingsley was convicted in 1965 at the age of 26 for first degree murder and burglary. His sentence was a life term plus five years.
He reportedly killed a liquor store owner over a $14.80 discrepancy in a paycheck that was cashed for him in Ouachita County, according to the Magnolia Reporter.
Billingsley has been recommended for commutation by the Arkansas Parole Board several times. The latest recommendation came in early 2022.
There are no objections to the request and he will become immediately parole eligible.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.