State v. Johnson

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Haeman, C.:

Appellant James Louis Johnson was tried before a jury for first degree murder in the slaying of his wife. He was convicted of the offense of murder in the second degree, his motion for new trial was overruled, he was sentenced to a term of twenty years imprisonment, and has appealed.

Appellant, twenty-five years of age, and a life-long resident of Topeka, first met his wife, Carlease, aged twenty-two, in April of 1964 and commenced living with her about three weeks later, believing she was single. She became pregnant and delivered appellant s…