Valentine v. Commonwealth

On the morning of June 12, 1947, Ida Dent was killed in the city of Norfolk. Her death resulted from a knife wound inflicted by Winnie Valentine.

The accused was indicted for murder and her first trial on June 24, 1947, resulted in a hung jury. At the second trial on August 18, 1947, a verdict of guilty of involuntary manslaughter was returned and her punishment fixed by the jury at one year in jail. That verdict was approved by the trial court and is before us for review.

A statement of the facts and circumstances attending the homicide is necessary for a correct determination of the questions…