Case Name: STATE of Missouri, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Jose T. BENITEZ, Defendant-Appellant
Court: Missouri Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Missouri
Decision Date: 2013-10-17
Citations: 412 S.W.3d 451
Docket Number: No. SD 32063
Parties: STATE of Missouri, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Jose T. BENITEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before LYNCH, P.J., RAHMEYER, J., and FRANCIS, J.
Reporter: South Western Reporter Third Series
Volume: 412
Pages: 451–452

Head Matter:
STATE of Missouri, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Jose T. BENITEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
No. SD 32063.
Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, Division One.
Oct. 17, 2013.
Margaret M. Johnston, Columbia, for Appellant.
Chris Koster (Attorney General), Jessica P. Meredith, Jefferson City, for Respondent.
Before LYNCH, P.J., RAHMEYER, J., and FRANCIS, J.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Jose T. Benitez ("Appellant") was convicted and sentenced to a violation of section 566.062, RSMO Cum.Supp.2006. The conviction was affirmed by this Court on June 10, 2013; subsequently, an Application for Transfer was filed in the Supreme Court of Missouri. While the application for transfer was pending, Appellant died. The Supreme Court granted the application for transfer but then retransferred the cause to this Court for:
reconsideration in light of City of Clayton v. Sigoloff, 452 S.W.2d 815, 316 (Mo.App.1970) (remanding the cause to the circuit court to dismiss the underlying action where defendant passed away while appeal was pending). Cf. State v. Macklin, 560 S.W.2d 69, 70 (Mo.App.1977) (noting that "[d]uring his lifetime, defendant was never finally convicted of the crimes charged and his death served to abate the prosecutions against him."); State v. Lee, 580 S.W.2d 563, 564 (Mo.App.1979); State v. King, 603 S.W.2d 71, 72 (Mo.App.1980); State v. West, 630 S.W.2d 271, 271 (Mo.App.1982).
Thus, in light of the aforementioned cases, we remand to the circuit court to dismiss the underlying action.