State v. Cotton

OPINION

BERCH, Judge.

¶ 1 On August 14, 1997, Defendant Lawrence Cotton accidently shot his girlfriend, L.W., in the back of the head. L.W. was eight and one-half months pregnant at the time. Although L.W. died shortly after arriving at the hospital, her daughter was delivered alive. But the fatal injury to L.W. had so decreased the blood supply to the baby that the infant died the following day.

¶2 The State charged Cotton with two counts of reckless second degree murder. The jury, however, found Cotton guilty of two lesser-ineluded counts of reckless manslaughter. See Ariz.Rev.Stat. Ann.…