State v. Shaw

ELMORE, Judge.

On 19 April 2006, Ronda Barnes (the victim) was discovered dead at her home. Her body was covered and had been burned with sulfuric acid; the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head that had resulted in extensive bruising and hemorrhaging of the brain. The victim had several external injuries to her head that included lacerations to her upper and lower lips, a fractured nose, and chemical burns to the face, head, upper chest, and legs.

At the sentencing hearing, defendant’s counsel gave a statement that contained the following assertions: At the time of the incident,…