Morrisette v. Commonwealth

A jury convicted William Wilton Monisette, HI, of the 1980 rape and capital murder of Dorothy M. White. At the conclusion of the penalty phase of a bifurcated trial, the jury fixed Morrisette’s punishment at death on the capital murder charge and at life imprisonment on the rape charge. The jury based its sentence of death on findings of both “future dangerousness” and “vileness.” See Code § 19.2-264.2. The trial court sentenced Morrisette in accordance with the jury verdict.

We have consolidated the automatic review of Morrisette’s death sentence with his appeal of the capital murder…