State v. Cooney

Joseph Francis Cooney, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was indicted on three counts of murder in the first degree, and on three counts of murder in the first degree while perpetrating an arson. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty as to the former, but found the defendant guilty on all three counts as to the latter.

The pertinent facts adduced at the trial indicate that on April 21, 1968, the defendant, while residing temporarily at his mother’s home, returned to that dwelling after drinking at a neighborhood cafe, consumed a cup of coffee, and then went to his room upstairs.…