Beavers v. Commonwealth

In this appeal we review the capital murder conviction and death penalty imposed upon Thomas H. Beavers, Jr., along with his convictions for rape, grand larceny, and arson arising from the same series of events.

I. Proceedings

Beavers was tried upon indictments charging capital murder, rape, grand larceny, and arson. Code §§ 18.2-31, -61, -95, and-81. At the conclusion of the first stage of a bifurcated jury trial conducted pursuant to Code §§ 19.2-264.3 and -264.4, the jury convicted Beavers of all offenses. The jury fixed his punishment as follows: life imprisonment for rape; ten years…