Opinion ID: 1959182
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Aggravating Factor c(4)(g)

Text: Defendant charges that the trial court failed to dismiss or instruct the jury adequately regarding aggravating factor N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(4)(g), which involves a killing while in the commission of one of several enumerated felonies. The jury had already convicted McDougald of attempted murder of Antoinette James when it considered whether he had murdered her parents in the process of committing another felony. It is plausible that McDougald broke into the Basses' apartment in order to kill Antoinette and, while pursuing the felony of attempted murder, killed her parents instead. This would independently support a c(4)(g) finding. It is also possible, on the other hand, that McDougald planned to kill Antoinette and her parents from the very beginning, so that he did not murder the Basses in the course of trying to murder Antoinette. That is a question for the jury. We find there was sufficient evidence adduced to allow factor c(4)(g) to be submitted to the jury at the penalty-phase rehearing. We caution the trial court, however, carefully to instruct the jury on the necessary relationship that must exist pursuant to c(4)(g) between the felony and the murder.