Pennsylvania v. Chapman (majority)
Annotate this CaseAppellant Laquanta Chapman shot and killed his sixteen-year-old neighbor in the basement of Appellant's home. Subsequently, with the assistance of his younger cousin, Bryan Bird, Appellant dismembered the victim’s body and disposed of the remains in the trash. Weeks later, law enforcement officers investigating the sale of illicit drugs from Appellant’s premises obtained a warrant to search them for evidence of drug activity. In the course of the ensuing search, police discovered an abundance of residual, physical evidence from the killing and dismemberment. Appellant was arrested and charged with murder and other crimes. The jury convicted Appellant of first-degree murder and other offenses and returned a death verdict in a separate penalty proceeding. Post-sentence motions were filed and denied, and this direct appeal followed. Appellant presented several claims of trial court error at the penalty stage, arguing primarily that the evidence offered by the Commonwealth in support of the sole aggravating circumstances pursued by the prosecution and found by the jury was insufficient.
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