People v. Cartier

This is an automatic appeal from a judgment of guilty of murder in the first degree after trial before a jury. The jury fixed the punishment at death and found defendant to have been sane on the date of the commission of the offense.

Viewed in the light most favorable to the People, the record discloses the following facts:

In November 1957 defendant, 29 years of age, resided with his wife, Geneva Cartier, in a single-story duplex dwelling in San Diego. Defendant and his wife had been married a few months before.

On November 11, 1957, defendant left work at approximately 3 :45 p. m. and by…