Layne v. State

BOOKOUT, Judge.

Geraldine Layne was indicted for first degree murder for killing her three-year-old daughter and was convicted on January 30, 1974, of second degree murder and sentenced to eighteen years in the penitentiary. The indictment against appellant charged the killing to be, “by some means unknown to this Grand Jury.”

Testimony was given by neighbors showing a history of recent abuse of the deceased child, Tammy Layne. Testimony was also received from Doctor A. R. Demick, a medical doctor with the University Hospital in Birmingham in charge of the burn service. Other witnesses for the…