Her family and friends called her Murray. The victim, Charlotte Murray Pace, was a pretty 22 year old who had just graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) as one of the youngest recipients of a MBA degree. After a thorough review of the law and the evidence, for the following reasons we affirm defendant's first-degree murder conviction and the imposition of the death sentence. We will address the most significant of these errors in this opinion, and the remaining errors will be addressed in an unpublished appendix. Defendant appeals his conviction and sentence raising 32 assignments of error. V, § 5(D) by the defendant, Derrick Todd Lee. The trial court sentenced defendant to death in accordance with the jury verdict and denied defendant's motion for new trial on December 10, 2004. At the conclusion of the penalty phase, the jury unanimously returned a verdict of death, finding the defendant committed the aggravated rape of the victim. After hearing closing arguments at the conclusion of the guilt phase, receiving the trial court's instructions, and deliberating defendant's guilt, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty of first-degree murder. Defendant's jury trial commenced on September 13, 2004, and the presentation of evidence ended on October 12, 2004. On June 25, 2003, an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury indicted defendant, Derrick Todd Lee, with the May 31, 2002, first-degree murder of Charlotte Murray Pace, a violation of La.Rev.Stat. Cummings, Assistant District Attorneys, for Appellee. Moreau, District Attorney, John Warren Sinquefield, Monisa L. Decided: January 16, 2008Ĭapital Appeals Project, Jelpi Pierre Picou, Jr., Marcia Adele Widder, for Appellant.
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