The People v. Earl

The defendant, Robert Earl, after a bench trial, was convicted of murder and sentenced to a term of 14 to 20 years in the penitentiary. He contends error was committed (1) by denial of his petition to sever his cause for trial from that of a co-defendant, Vernon Cocroft, who had made a statement which implicated him; and (2) by the denial of his motion to suppress his confession as being involuntary.

The badly beaten body of Oliver Griffin was found lying in a gangway at 1648 South Pulaski Road in Chicago at 6:30 A.M., October 30, 1961. He died shortly thereafter in a hospital, having suffered…