Commonwealth v. Murray

The defendant appeals from her conviction on one count of burning a dwelling house and two counts of attempted murder. On appeal, the defendant contends that the trial judge erred in instructing the jury in several respects. There was no error.

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, the jury reasonably could have found the following facts. On October 13, 1996, the defendant and her two sons, Joseph and Jonathan, were at their home in Brookfield. Joseph, who was approximately ten years old, went to the basement to speak with the defendant. Upon entering the…