State v. Murdock

Defendant was convicted of first degree arson following a jury trial in the district court of Lewis & Clark County, Hon. Victor H. Fall, district judge. Defendant was subsequently sentenced to ten years in the Montana State Prison and now appeals from the judgment of conviction.

During the month of June 1971, defendant Edward R. Murdock started to build a house on a tract of land in the Helena valley known as the Sewell tracts. By about August 1 the two-story house, 40x30 feet, was largely completed but the second floor was unfinished.

In the latter part of July defendant contacted Schroeder…