Legal Opinion
Poyner v. Commonwealth
Supreme Court of Virginia
Decided April 26, 1985No. Record 841434 and 841435; Record 841539 and 841540; Record 841589PublishedCited by 97 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtThomas, J.
I. Background
In three separate trials, Syvasky Lafayette Poyner was convicted of the capital murders of five women. He was sentenced to death for each offense. The five death sentences are before the Court pursuant to the automatic review provision of Code § 17-110.1. We have consolidated Poyner’s appeals of his convictions with our automatic review of his death sentences and have given the cases priority on the docket.
The five women were killed in an eleven-day period in late January and early February 1984. All were shot in the head. The murders occurred in the Hampton-Williamsburg-Newport…
2Cases cited42 opinions
- Miranda v. ArizonaSupreme Court of the United States · 1966
- Edwards v. ArizonaSupreme Court of the United States · 1981
- Witherspoon v. IllinoisSupreme Court of the United States · 1968
- Wainwright v. WittSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
- Oregon v. ElstadSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
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3Cited by97 opinions
- Frye v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Virginia · 1986
- Gray v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Virginia · 1987
- Eaton v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Virginia · 1990
- O'Dell v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Virginia · 1988
- Watkins v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Virginia · 1985
92 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.