Gates v. State

Hill, Justice.

This is a death case. Defendant Johnny Lee Gates was convicted by jury of the rape, armed robbery, and murder of a young woman in Columbus. The jury found three statutory aggravating circumstances and imposed the death penalty. The trial court sentenced defendant to death for the crime of murder, and to 20 years consecutively for the crimes of armed robbery and rape.

There was evidence from which the jury was authorized to find the following: Prior to being assigned to Fort Benning, the victim’s husband had been stationed in Germany where he met and married the 19-year-old…