Opinion ID: 2092121
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Murder and Felony Murder.

Text: Gregory-Bey first asserts, and the State concedes, that he cannot be convicted of both murder and felony murder when both arise from a single homicide. The parties are correct. See, e.g., Hicks v. State, 544 N.E.2d 500 (Ind.1989); Bean v. State, 267 Ind. 528, 371 N.E.2d 713 (1978). Since Gregory-Bey's convictions for felony murder and knowing or intentional murder were both based on the killing of Dewayne Bible, we vacate his conviction for felony murder, and leave stand his conviction for knowing or intentional murder. B. Robbery and Felony Murder. Gregory-Bey next asserts that his convictions for robbery and felony murder violate double jeopardy because his robbery and felony murder charges merged when both were predicated on the same robbery. Skipper v. State, 525 N.E.2d 334 (Ind.1988). Because we have already vacated Gregory-Bey's felony murder conviction on other double jeopardy grounds, this claim is mooted. C. Robbery and Conspiracy. Finally, Gregory-Bey asserts, and the State concedes, that he cannot be convicted of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery when the overt act upon which the conspiracy charge rests is the robbery itself. Conviction of both a substantive offense and conspiracy to commit that offense is not, per se, a double jeopardy violation, as this Court has repeatedly stated. See, e.g., Buie v. State, 633 N.E.2d 250 (Ind.1994); Witte v. State, 550 N.E.2d 68 (Ind.1990); Taylor v. State, 235 Ind. 126, 131 N.E.2d 297 (1956). Indiana's robbery statute requires the knowing or intentional taking of property from another person or from his presence. Ind.Code Ann. § 35-42-4-6 (West 1986). The offense of conspiracy, on the other hand, requires agreement with another person to commit the underlying felony, as well as an overt act in furtherance of that felony. Ind. Code Ann. § 35-41-5-2. Each crime requires proof of an element the other does not; these crimes are thus not the same offense under Blockburger analysis. However, we have previously held that this is not the end of our double jeopardy analysiswe must also look to the manner in which the offenses were charged. Derado v. State, 622 N.E.2d 181, 184 (Ind.1993). When the charging instrument and jury instructions rely on the same facts to prove both the underlying felony and the overt act committed in furtherance of the conspiracy to commit that felony, double jeopardy has been violated. Id. at 184; see also Parker v. State, 567 N.E.2d 105 (Ind.Ct.App.1991), transfer denied. In the case at bar, the State alleged the robbery as the requisite overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy. [10] The trial court also instructed the jury that in order to find Gregory-Bey guilty of conspiracy, the State needed to show that he had committed the underlying robbery. Accordingly, Gregory-Bey's conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery must be vacated. D. Murder and Class A Robbery. In the course of considering the foregoing issues, it has become apparent that Gregory-Bey's conviction for murder and his conviction for robbery as a class A felony may also raise a double jeopardy question. Because neither party has briefed this aspect of the double jeopardy claim, we will direct the trial court on remand to consider any arguments the parties may wish to offer on this issue.