Coleman v. State

SHEPARD, Chief Justice.

Appellant Alton Coleman was found guilty by a jury of murder, a felony, Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1(1) (Burns 1985 Repl.), attempted murder, a class A felony, Ind.Code §§ 35-41-5-1, 85-42-1-1 (Burns 1985 Repl.), and child molesting, a class A felony, Ind.Code § 85-42-4-8(a) (Burns 1985 Repl.). The jury also recommended the death penalty.1 Judge Richard Maroc entered lengthy findings and sentenced Coleman to death.

In June 1984, Coleman and his companion Deborah Brown approached two young girls in Gary. The girls were ten-year-old AH. and her seven-year-old niece, Tamika Turk.…