Commonwealth v. Bell

After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree on a theory of felony-murder, armed home invasion, arson, and violations of an abuse prevention order. The convictions arose from the death of the victim, who died as a result of complications arising from second and third degree burns over ninety percent of her body. The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the murder conviction due to errors in the jury instructions and because the arson conviction merged with the murder conviction and remanded. After a second trial, the jury found Defendant guilty of murder in the first degree on theories of premeditation, extreme atrocity or cruelty, and felony-murder. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding (1) the trial judge did not err in denying Defendant’s motion to suppress his statements to police; (2) the admission of six photographs of the victim taken while she was being treated in the hospital was not an abuse of discretion; (3) the trial judge did not err in in excluding one of defense counsel’s closing arguments; and (4) there was no reason to reduce the verdict of murder in the first degree or to order a new trial. View "Commonwealth v. Bell" on Justia Law