Commonwealth v. Sullivan

Opinion by

Mb. Justice Jones,

Beatrice Sullivan [appellant] was convicted of murder in the first degree arising from the killing of her supposed husband, Dock Sumpter. The Commonwealth’s theory was that appellant conspired with her paramour, Willie Payne, who admitted firing the fatal shot, to murder Sumpter. The trial court denied a motion for a new trial, appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment, and from that judgment of sentence the instant appeal was taken.

At trial, Payne testified that appellant had become friendly with him approximately three months before the murder. Some time later…