State v. Wheeler

BROTHERTON, Justice:

The appellant, Gary Wheeler, was convicted of malicious wounding, two counts of attempted murder, and first-degree murder as a result of incidents which took place between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on February 21, 1990, in the parking lot of a Super 8 Motel in Beckley, West Virginia. Wheeler turned himself in to police later that day. A jury trial was held from August 13-15, 1990, and Wheeler subsequently received sentences of life without mercy and four-to-twenty years in the State penitentiary. He now appeals his conviction.

In order to facilitate our discussion of the…