Sistrunk v. State

Edward Charles Sistrunk appeals his conviction for murder from the Circuit Court of Calhoun County. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment for the stabbing death of his fourteen-year-old niece, Jacqueline Carol Sistrunk. Two issues are raised on appeal. The facts, largely undisputed, will place those issues in perspective.

Appellant lived in Anniston with his mother, Cora Sistrunk, one of his sisters, and her two children. The victim, appellant's fourteen-year-old niece by another sister, and the victim's thirteen-year-old sister, also lived with their grandmother, Mrs. Sistrunk. A third…