Royal v. State

Hines, Justice.

Forrest Royal was convicted of felony murder while in the commission of an aggravated assault, kidnapping with bodily injury, and possession of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes in connection with the stabbing death of Jabee W. Johnson, Jr.

The evidence at trial, considered in the light most favorable to the verdict, showed that Royal forced at gunpoint Johnson and another man to go to Royal’s house because Royal believed the pair to be responsible for taking a cache of drugs from his home. Viola Daniels and another woman who sold drugs for Royal were waiting at…