Commonwealth v. Ruci

On September 19, 1989, an Essex County jury found the defendant, Mehmet Ruci, guilty of the murder in the first degree of his wife, Maria Ruci. The defendant appeals from his conviction. His only claim of error is that the judge erred in denying his motion for a required finding of not guilty. The defendant also requests that we exercise our discretionary power under G. L. c. 278, § 33E (1988 ed.), to reduce his conviction to murder in the second degree. We affirm the conviction.

Based on the evidence submitted, the jury would have been warranted in finding these facts. The defendant and the…