People v. Blackwell

Defendant, Leon Blackwell, was convicted by a jury of burglary and the murder of Agnes Bookham. Defendant received concurrent sentences of 6% to 20 years for burglary and 60 to 70 years for murder. Defendant appeals from both convictions and also from the sentence for murder.

Harris Orange, a witness for the State, testified that he was defendant’s accomplice in both crimes. Orange stated that at 9 p.m. on June 4, 1975, he went to the apartment of William Gandy, defendant’s uncle, in order to buy some preludin (speed) from Gandy. When he arrived, defendant, whom he had known for six months,…