People v. Bowles

The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder for the beating death of his aunt. The Court of Appeals affirmed. We likewise affirm, though on a slightly different basis.

I

The defendant’s mother and his aunt, the victim of this crime, 1 lived in adjacent homes in Ypsilanti. The aunt was seventy-nine years old, and evidently had begun to experience the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. One of her nieces visited her daily to see that all was well, and to provide needed assistance.

After a visit on the afternoon of March 10, 1996, the victim’s niece returned home. About an hour later, she…