State v. Johnson

The defendant, Bruce L. Johnson, was tried and convicted before a jury in the Superior Court on indictments charging him with murder, kidnapping and assault and battery with intent to commit rape. The victim was a 14-year-old girl. On appeal, the errors assigned relate to the denial of certain pretrial motions and to allegedly erroneous rulings at the trial.

On October 16, 1973 at about 7:30 in the evening four boys, while walking along Shore Road in Westerly, noticed a large automobile drive slowly by them, turn around and then turn into the driveway of a vacant residence. The boys continued…