State v. Link

Defendant was a teenager when he and four friends stole a car belonging to one friend’s mother, killed her to conceal the robbery, and drove to Canada. Although defendant took part in the preparations to commit the murder and encouraged and directed the others to shoot the victim, he was not physically present when, after three of his friends either refused or were unable to shoot her, the fourth fired the fatal shot. Defendant was charged with five counts of aggravated murder. Counts 1 through 3 charged defendant with aggravated felony murder — specifically, that defendant had committed…