Burlile v. Commonwealth

In this appeal, we consider whether the Court of Appeals erred in holding the trial court, the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, properly refused to instruct the jury that in order to convict a defendant of capital murder in “[t]he willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of more than one person within a three-year period” in violation of Code § 18.2-31(8), it is necessary that the jury find the defendant was a principal in the first degree, or “triggerman,” in each killing at issue.

BACKGROUND

Because our review is limited to a single, narrow issue, a succinct statement of the facts…