State v. Sanderson

EXUM, Chief Justice.

In April 1986, defendant pled guilty to first-degree kidnapping and first-degree murder of Sue Ellen Holliman and was sentenced to death. This Court overturned his sentence in State v. Sanderson, 327 N.C. 397, 394 S.E.2d 803 (1990), finding that the judge’s instructions to the jury contained error under McKoy v. North Carolina, 494 U.S. 433, 108 L. Ed. 2d 369 (1990). After a new sentencing proceeding, defendant was again sentenced to death. He now ap*4peals, raising numerous assignments of error. We conclude that the second sentencing proceeding was thoroughly tainted and…