People v. Despain

PRESIDING JUSTICE SEIDENFELD

delivered the opinion of the court:

Leroy Despain was convicted of murder, following a jury trial, and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. He appeals, contending only that he was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defendant argues that the State’s evidence is entirely circumstantial, both as to the criminal agency and as to defendant’s involvement in the death of Margaret Lawton; and that the evidence does not clearly and convincingly show his guilt, but is consistent with a hypothesis of innocence.

On October 4, 1978, Dale Henricksen, a farmer in Kendall…