State v. Barnes

On the evening of April 29, 1934, the defendant shot and killed Knute Lunden. The homicide occurred in the dwelling house on Lunden’s farm in a remote part of Deschutes county about five miles from the town of Lapine. There were no eyewitnesses to the killing. The defendant admitting the killing but claimed to have acted in self-defense. The defendant was tried and convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree and, on recommendation of the trial jury, was sentenced to life imprisonment. From this judgment, he has appealed.

At the opening of the trial, the defendant, by his attorney,…