Lawton v. State

Clarke, Chief Justice.

Joseph Lawton, Jr. was convicted of the felony murder of James Land Jones, a professor at Armstrong State College, and of theft by taking an automobile belonging to Professor Jones. The defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder conviction and ten years for the theft by taking conviction. The sentences are concurrent.

The evidence at trial showed that the defendant met the victim several days before the murder while playing basketball; the victim asked for and received the defendant’s phone number. On the day in question the defendant telephoned the…