Smith v. Commonwealth

In this appeal by Peter Daniel Smith of his conviction of grand larceny, he alleges that the Commonwealth failed to establish an unbroken chain of possession of certain exhibits which supplied a basis for the opinion testimony of an expert witness.

On the afternoon of January 26, 1977, Mrs. Mary L. Brooks returned to her dwelling in Gloucester and found that the house had been ransacked. Numerous items of personal property and approximately $170 in cash were missing. The money that was stolen included ten $2 bills. Also missing were a $5 bill and five $1 bills which, together with an order for…