Manetta v. Commonwealth

Tried by a jury, James Edward Manetta was convicted of capital murder and robbery and was sentenced to life plus five years imprisonment. We granted an appeal limited to the single question whether the trial court erred by admitting hearsay testimony. The facts pertinent to this question may be summarized briefly and will be stated in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth.

On July 31, 1981, a forest ranger found the body of Cathy Lynn Dooley in the woods in the Jefferson National Forest. She had been killed by blows to the head which caused fractures of the skull and jaw. No personal…