Shannon v. Commonwealth

LEIBSON, Justice.

The appellant was convicted of the offense of wanton murder and sentenced to confinement for a period of 20 years.

The principal question on appeal is whether the wanton murder instruction should have been qualified by the defense of self-protection. The appellant was also denied the defense of self-protection in the instructions on Manslaughter II (wanton homicide) and Reckless Homicide, but he makes no special point of this in his Brief.

The appellant admitted that he shot and killed Shirley Porter. He claimed that he did so in self-defense, and that just immediately prior to…