State v. Rye

Chief Justice TOAL:

This is a direct appeal in a criminal case. A jury convicted Appellant Grover Rye (“Appellant”) of murder, and we certified the case for review from the court of appeals. Because we find that the jury was not properly charged regarding a defense Appellant asserted at trial, we reverse.

Factual/Procedural Background

The events which culminated in the incident that is the subject of this appeal are both disturbing and bizarre. According to the record, Appellant owned a parcel of property on which he stored tools and equipment he used in his business. Although this property was…