Boyle v. State

Jim Gunter, Justice.

Appellant Patrick Boyle was convicted of capital murder for shooting his live-in companion, Carol Ivanhoe. Because the State waived the death penalty before trial, Boyle was automatically sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. See Ark. Code Ann. § 5-10-101(c)(Supp. 2005). Boyle raises four points on appeal: (1) the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to instruct the jury on second-degree murder and manslaughter; (2) the trial court abused its discretion in admitting the testimony of Shannon Bailey; (3) the trial court erred in excluding…