Commonwealth v. Lockard

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Drew,

Roy Lockard and Margaret Karmendi were jointly indicted for the murder of Matthew Karmendi, her three-year-old son. They demanded and received separate trials. Lockard was tried first, and on June 13,1936, he was found guilty of murder in the first degree and the penalty fixed at death. From the judgment and sentence imposed he took this appeal.

Shortly after nine o’clock on the evening of April 21, 1936, Paul lorio, a resident of Altoona, heard someone pounding violently on his door. Upon opening it he saw defendant with a wounded and bleeding child in his arms, and…