The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed Tuesday a life sentence for Ayden Merrell, who was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery for shooting and killing a convenience store clerk when he was just 12 years old. The high court rejected Merrell's appeal challenging his sentencing as an adult rather than in the juvenile justice system.

Associate Justice Courtney Rae Hudson wrote for the court in the case Ayden Merrell v. State of Arkansas (Ark. 2026), affirming the Miller County Circuit Court's decision to sentence Merrell as an adult. The defendant had argued that the circuit court erred by finding that the state proved he was not amenable to treatment and that public safety required the imposition of an adult sentence.

On Feb. 2, 2017, then-12-year-old Merrell was arrested for the murder of Christa Shockley, a 21-year-old clerk working at the E-Z Mart convenience store in Fouke, Arkansas. The state filed a delinquency petition in the juvenile division of circuit court the following day, charging Merrell with capital murder and aggravated robbery.

According to court documents, surveillance footage from the convenience store showed Merrell entering the store and shooting Shockley seven times before fleeing the scene. The incident shocked the small community of Fouke and raised questions about juvenile justice sentencing for extremely young offenders.

After extensive proceedings in both juvenile and adult courts, Merrell was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His defense team argued that his age at the time of the crime should have precluded adult sentencing, but the Arkansas Supreme Court disagreed, finding that the lower court properly considered all relevant factors in determining that adult sentencing was appropriate.