United States v. James David Blue Thunder, (Two Cases)

HENLEY, Circuit Judge.

James David Blue Thunder was convicted of first degree murder under provisions of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111 and 1153 for stabbing to death with a butcher knife one Theresa Sands Blue Thunder who once had been his wife. He was sentenced by the" district court1 to life imprisonment. His appeal from that conviction and sentence, No. 78-1734, was filed with this court in September of 1978. Subsequently we remanded the case for an evidentiary hearing on the question of effective assistance of trial counsel. On remand, the district court conducted a hearing and filed findings of fact,…