Commonwealth v. Johnson

Opinion by

Me. Justice Pomeeoy,

Following an eight day jury trial in 1969, the appellant, Lionel Johnson, was found guilty of the first degree murder of John Boykin. Post-trial motions were denied and a sentence of life imprisonment was imposed.

The Commonwealth’s case of felony-murder against appellant was built around the eyewitness testimony of the victim’s ten year-old son (seven at the time of the incident), Curtis Boykin, and a voluntary statement given by appellant to the police following his apprehension. The evidence showed that on March 23, 1967, Lionel Johnson and one Larry Horsey…