A fight between two inmates in the Marion County Detention Center in April that left the victim with a fractured skull has sent 31-year-old Colby Vanlandingham to prison for six years.
According to the plea agreement filed Tuesday, Vanlandingham of Arkadelphia entered a guilty plea before Judge Gordon Webb in Marion County Circuit Court July 10 to a felony charge of first-degree battery.
Vanlandingham’s prison sentence will run concurrently with charges from two other cases. Those charges include felony counts of failure to register as a sex offender or report an address change and aggravated assault.
The terms of his negotiated plea also require him to make payment of $10,000 in restitution to the victim.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the fight between the two inmates sent 35-year-old Aaron Adams to North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison, before being transferred by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Springfield.
Adams’ injuries included a fractured vertebra, subdural hematoma and a non-displaced skull fracture.
A review of the video recording of the incident shows Adams standing at the foot of Vanlandingham’s bunk, with one foot on it. The two appear to be arguing.
Vanlandingham gets up and steps around to the end of the bunk where Adams is. He then pushes Adams and hits him twice.
Adams then turns his back on Vanlandingham, who puts him in a chokehold and drags him between the bunks to the open area of the pod.
While Vanlandingham is dragging Adams, his body appears to go limp. Vanlandingham then slams Adams to the floor, bouncing his head off the surface. He walks away, turns around, returns to Adams and hits him again.
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