State v. King

The appellant was convicted of murder in the first degree in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis and his punishment assessed at death. On this appeal he challenges the sufficiency of the indictment; contends the verdict is not supported by the evidence because there was no proof of deliberation, or of the corpus delicti aside from his extrajudicial confession; maintains his confession was involuntary and extorted by physical violence, threats and promises; complains of the admission of incompetent evidence, of improper cross-examination of himself as a witness and of the separation of…