Commonwealth v. Messersmith

TODD, J.:

¶ 1 Robert N. Messersmith appeals the judgment of sentence imposed on December 18, 2002 by the York County Court of Common Pleas, the Honorable John C. Uhler, presiding, after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder. This Court heard oral argument on this appeal on November 19, 2003. After careful review, we affirm.

¶ 2 In 1969, Lillie Belle Allen and her family, who were African-American and lived in South Carolina, were visiting Allen’s sister, Hattie Dickson, in York, Pennsylvania. At that time, there were ongoing racial riots in the city of York. On July 21, 1969, after…