State v. Ray

EXUM, Justice.

Defendant was tried on an indictment charging him with the first degree murder of Larry Caudle. At trial Judge Canaday at the close of all the evidence dismissed the charge of first degree murder and submitted to the jury alternative verdicts of second degree murder, manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, not guilty, and not guilty by reason of self-defense and defense of another. All the evidence, including defendant’s own testimony, demonstrated that defendant intentionally shot Caudle and the wound so inflicted caused Caudle’s death. The defense rested entirely on the theory…