Commonwealth v. Kontos

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Pomeroy,

On March 14, 1966, one Hazel Deere, a 72 year old spinster, was murdered during the course of a robbery committed at her apartment. Shortly thereafter the appellant, Gus Kontos, was arrested and charged with the crime, to which he confessed. On October 8, 1966, Kontos, represented by private counsel, entered a plea of guilty to murder generally,1 and at a subsequently held degree of guilt hearing before a three-judge court, he was found to be guilty of murder in the first degree. The sentence imposed was life imprisonment. No appeal was taken.

*359On January 2, 1970,…