State v. Fuhr, 62714

Decision Date12 January 1982
Docket NumberNo. 2,No. 62714,62714,2
PartiesSTATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Jerry FUHR, Appellant
CourtMissouri Supreme Court

Joseph Colantuono, Kansas City, for appellant.

Philip Koppe, Asst. Atty. Gen., Kansas City, for respondent.

EDWARD D. HODGE, Special Judge.

Appellant, Jerry Lee Fuhr, was found guilty by a jury of the capital murder of Maxine Gordon and sentenced to life imprisonment without eligibility for probation or parole for fifty years.

A detailed recitation of the facts surrounding the tragic death of Maxine Gordon would not aid in the resolution of the primary problem presented, i.e. failure to instruct the jury as mandated by MAI-CR2d in the 15.00 series applicable to homicides committed after May 25, 1977.

The trial court instructed on capital murder, murder in the second degree, and manslaughter. The failure of the trial court to instruct on first degree murder was preserved by appellant in his Motion for New Trial and in his brief filed with this Court.

Note 3(d), under MAI-CR2d 15.00, provides:

if capital murder is the highest homicide submitted ... the court must also give the following instructions: ... MAI-CR 15.04-15.12 on any murder in the first degree...

We believe a jury could reasonably have found from the evidence that on February 6, 1980, while engaged in the commission of a robbery, appellant stabbed and killed Maxine Gordon.

The failure to instruct on first degree murder in the commission of robbery requires reversal of the judgment of conviction. State v. Wilkerson, 616 S.W.2d 829 (Mo. banc 1981); State v. Gardner, 618 S.W.2d 40 (Mo.1981).

Other points presented by appellant may or may not arise on retrial and need not be considered at this time.

The judgment is reversed and remanded for further proceedings.

WELLIVER, P. J., HIGGINS and SEILER, JJ., and REINHARD, Special Judge, concur.

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11 cases
  • Williams v. Armontrout
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (8th Circuit)
    • February 6, 1990
    ...was a lesser included offense of capital murder under Missouri law. State v. Daugherty, 631 S.W.2d 637, 645 (Mo.1982); State v. Fuhr, 626 S.W.2d 379, 379 (Mo.1982). While the Missouri Supreme Court held in State v. Baker, 636 S.W.2d 902, 904-05 (Mo.1982) (en banc), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 11......
  • Williams v. Armontrout
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (8th Circuit)
    • October 12, 1990
    ...murder under Missouri law. See Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 565.006.1 (1978); State v. Daugherty, 631 S.W.2d 637, 645 (Mo.1982); State v. Fuhr, 626 S.W.2d 379, 379 (Mo.1982). The Missouri Supreme Court later held that felony murder is not a lesser included offense of capital murder in that state. See ......
  • Blair v. Armontrout
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (8th Circuit)
    • September 24, 1990
    ...of equal protection by Goddard's holding, after Blair's appeal was decided. Nor do we believe that two pre-Baker cases, State v. Fuhr, 626 S.W.2d 379 (Mo.1982), and State v. Daugherty, 631 S.W.2d 637 (Mo.1982), support Blair's argument. Although the crimes involved in both Fuhr and Daughert......
  • State v. Holland
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Missouri
    • June 30, 1983
    ...without merit and is ruled against appellant. The holding of Daugherty merely follows the earlier decision of this Court in State v. Fuhr, 626 S.W.2d 379 (Mo.1982), finding that under State v. Wilkerson, 616 S.W.2d 829 (Mo. banc 1981) and State v. Gardner, 618 S.W.2d 40 (Mo.1981) it was err......
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