Matthews v. State

Thompson, Justice.

Joe Lorenzo Matthews was convicted of the felony murder of a convenience store clerk, Avalon Earls, and the armed robbery of the store owner, Thelma Johnson.1 Finding no reversible error, we affirm.

Matthews approached the counter of Johnson’s General Store in Stillmore, Georgia, with a B-B gun in hand and confronted Johnson, the owner/manager. When Johnson removed a pistol from her pocket, Matthews jumped behind the counter, struck Johnson in the head, and gained possession of her gun. Matthews demanded that Johnson open the cash register. As Matthews gathered the contents…