The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed the second-degree murder conviction of Tyler Edward Tait, an emergency room physician, in a decision delivered Feb. 12, 2026. The court rejected Tait's appeal arguments and vacated a Court of Appeals opinion in the case.
Tait was convicted by a Chicot County jury of second-degree murder in connection with the Oct. 11, 2021 death of his girlfriend, Moria Kinsey. The physician had initially been charged with first-degree murder but was ultimately convicted of the lesser charge.
According to court records, the incident occurred while Tait and Kinsey were traveling on U.S. Highway 65 near Lake Village, returning from Alabama. At 1:07 p.m., surveillance video from a liquor store confirmed their travel time. Just five minutes later, at 1:12 p.m., Tait called 911 to report that Kinsey was allegedly having a seizure.
The timeline proved critical to the prosecution's case. Court documents indicate that Tait was the only person with Kinsey during the brief window between the confirmed sighting and the emergency call. Law enforcement and emergency services responded to the scene, where several passersby also attempted to render aid to Kinsey.
Kinsey was transported to Chicot Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Tait was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
The case proceeded to trial in June 2023, where prosecutors presented evidence through multiple witnesses. Among those who testified was Brayden Brantley, a farmer who was driving past when he observed the incident involving the truck. The trial evidence and witness testimony ultimately led the jury to convict Tait of second-degree murder rather than the original first-degree charge.
On appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court, Tait raised three primary arguments challenging his conviction. First, he contended there was insufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict. Second, he argued the circuit court erred by instructing the jury on a lesser-included offense. Third, he claimed the circuit court improperly denied his motion for a new trial based on alleged juror misconduct.
Associate Justice Cody Hiland authored the Supreme Court's opinion rejecting all three of Tait's arguments. The court found the evidence sufficient to support the second-degree murder conviction and determined that the circuit court properly handled both the jury instructions and the motion for a new trial.
The case highlights the legal complexities that can arise when medical professionals become defendants in criminal proceedings. As an emergency room physician, Tait would have been trained in recognizing and responding to medical emergencies, which may have factored into the jury's deliberations and the court's analysis of the evidence.
The Supreme Court's decision also addressed procedural matters related to the case's appellate history. The court specifically vacated a Court of Appeals opinion, indicating that the case had previously been reviewed by the intermediate appellate court before reaching the state's highest court.
The conviction represents a resolution to a case that began nearly five years ago with Kinsey's death. The lengthy legal process included the initial investigation, grand jury proceedings, trial preparation, the June 2023 trial, and subsequent appeals through both the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
For Tait, the Supreme Court's affirmance of his conviction means his legal options for challenging the verdict within the Arkansas state court system have been exhausted. The physician now faces the consequences of his second-degree murder conviction, which typically carries significant prison time under Arkansas law.
The case also underscores the thoroughness of the judicial review process in serious criminal cases. Despite Tait's multiple arguments on appeal, the Arkansas Supreme Court found that the circuit court had properly conducted the trial and that the evidence supported the jury's verdict.
The Supreme Court's opinion in Tyler Edward Tait v. State of Arkansas was assigned case number CR-24-36 and represents the final resolution of the criminal proceedings against the emergency room physician. The decision affirms the lower court's handling of the case and validates the jury's determination that Tait was guilty of second-degree murder in connection with Kinsey's death on that October day in 2021.