State v. Clark

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Fontron, J.:

The defendant, Richard Delwayne Clark, was charged with murder in the first degree, in violation of K. S. A. 21-401. He was convicted of murder in the second degree, as defined in K. S. A. 21-402. He has appealed, alleging various errors.

The facts of this case reflect a sordid tale of an illicit relationship which exploded into the violence of a savage beating given Mrs. Elizabeth J. Cato by her paramour, resulting in her death. An attempt will be made to sketch the salient facts as briefly as possible.

As recounted by the defendant, he…