Commonwealth v. Smith, W., Aplt.

OPINION

Justice EAKIN.

Appellant appeals from the judgment of sentence of death imposed by a jury following the grant of a new penalty-phase hearing. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

On November 18, 1994, Eileen Jones and appellant went to appellant’s nephew to borrow a car; the nephew gave him the keys, and appellant and Jones left together in the car. Appellant returned the car later that evening.

The next afternoon, appellant told his brother he murdered Jones in a nearby park by choking her with his hands and belt. Jones’s body was discovered November 22, 1994; the county medical…