Opinion ID: 1091512
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: THE COURT ERRED IN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS S-1-B, S-2-A and S-2-B AND SENTENCING INSTRUCTION S-1.

Text: Appellant argues that since nothing was taken from the person or presence of Kirby Phelps before he was murdered there was no robbery and any reference to robbery is error. While appellant correctly states that one of the essential elements of robbery is that the taking must be from the person or presence of another, the fact that the murder occurred prior to the taking does not lessen the crime. In Cobern v. State, 273 Ala. 547, 142 So.2d 869, 871 (1962), the Court stated: Nor, under the best reasoned authorities, does the fact that the victim was dead at the time of taking her property militate against the conclusion of robbery. If the intervening time between  the time of the murder and the time of taking of the property formed a continuous chain of events, the fact that she was dead when he took the property could not absolve the defendant from the crime of robbery. Coe's case [ State v. Coe, 34 Wash.2d 336, 208 P.2d 863], supra; Carey v. United States, U.S.Ct. of App., Dist. of Columbia Cir., 296 F.2d 422; Alaniz v. State, 147 Tex.Cr.R. 1, 177 S.W.2d 965; People v. Jordan, 303 Ill. 316, 135 N.E. 729; State v. Covington, 169 La. 939, 126 So. 431. In appellant's other argument under this assignment appellant contends that it was error to give instruction S-1. His argument is that the state was doubling up the aggravating circumstances by telling the jury in part B that the jury could consider that the murder was committed in the course of the commission of a robbery and that the murder was for pecuniary gain. The lower court's ruling is consistent with prior holdings where the jury verdict was allowed to stand and similar instructions upheld. Tokman v. State, 435 So.2d 664 (Miss. 1983); Smith v. State, 419 So.2d 563 (Miss. 1982); Voyles v. State, 362 So.2d 1236 (Miss. 1978); Bell v. State, 360 So.2d 1206 (Miss. 1978). There was no error in granting these instructions.