Commonwealth v. Davis

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Eoberts,

William Davis was found guilty of murder in the second degree for the 1964 stabbing death of Eobert Cross. At the time of the murder both Cross and Davis were inmates at the Eastern State Correctional Institution at Graterford.

Following return of the jury’s verdict on January 6, 1965, appellant was unable to appear for sentencing because he had been transferred to Farview State Hospital. There his condition was described as “chronic brain syndrome of unknown cause with psychotic reaction.” In 1972 it was decided that appellant had recovered sufficiently to permit…