Peeler v. State

David Newbern, Justice.

John Christopher Peeler was convicted of capital murder for having killed Chris Cummings. Mr. Peeler was referred to at the trial as “Chris Peeler.” Chris Cummings disappeared in 1992. Amy Blankenship was Mr. Peeler’s fifteen-year-old girlfriend at that time. She became Amy Peeler when she married Mr. Peeler on her sixteenth birthday in 1993. At Chris Peeler’s trial, which took place in 1996, Amy Peeler testified about her role in kidnapping Mr. Cummings prior to the murder. Mr. Peeler contends that, as Amy Peeler was his alleged accomplice, corroborating evidence…