Rosa v. State

KELLY, Judge.

Joshua Rosa appeals from his judgment and life sentence for the first-degree felony murder of thirteen-year-old Stephen Tomlinson, who died of asphyxia due to strangulation. Rosa argues that his conviction should be set aside because the merger doctrine precludes the use of aggravated child abuse as the underlying felony for a felony murder charge if a single act of abuse led to the child’s death. We disagree that the child abuse in this case was a single act and therefore affirm.

In Florida, a defendant may be convicted of first-degree murder under a premeditation theory or under…