Darnell v. Commonwealth

Opinion

COLEMAN, J.

— Norma Jean Darnell was convicted by a jury of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a police officer and sentenced to eight years in prison. She appeals that conviction on two grounds: (1) the jury was improperly instructed on the elements of the offense, and (2) the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction.

In the early morning hours of April 12, 1986, appellant arrived at her home in Roanoke. She checked her answering machine and found sixteen messages from Darrell Hensley, a man she had dated twice. Appellant called Hensley and told him to stop calling her.…