Lavan v. State

DICE, Commissioner.

The offense is murder; the'punishment,' death.

The deceased, Mrs. Cecelia Atkins, a 54 year-old widow, operated a small grocery' store in the city of Houston and lived alone in the residence portion of the- store build ing. John E. Heffernan, an elderly gentleman who had retired from city employment, was a close personal friend of the deceased and assisted her in the operation of the store. It was his daily custom to go to the store each morning around 6:30 o’clock and help the deceased open the business and to then assist her in closing the store at night around 7:30…