State v. DeSilva

^LOBRANO, Judge.

The defendant, Chanda DeSilva, was charged with the first degree murder of Martin Hecker1, a violation of La. R.S. 14:30. The State later amended the bill to charge the defendant with second degree murder, a violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1. Her first trial ended in a mistrial but in her second trial a jury found her guilty of manslaughter, a violation of La. R.S. 14:31. ■ The defendant was sentenced to serve twenty years at hard labor. She now appeals.

The facts of this case are as follows: Sometime after 4:00 a.m. on May 1,1994, Off. Dwight Powell, a grounds patrol officer in…