Opinion ID: 3047100
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Verdict, Penalty Phase, and Sentence

Text: After deliberating for six hours, the jury found Trepal guilty of one count of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of poisoning food or water with intent to kill or injure, and one count of tampering with a consumer product. In the penalty phase, the State called Dr. Richard Hostler, the neurologist who treated Peggy Carr, to testify about the pain Peggy Carr experienced from the thallium poisoning, including her complaints of an intense burning sensation in her feet and the fact she was in pain for several days, until she became comatose. The State called no other witnesses. The parties entered into two stipulations. First, they stipulated that Trepal (1) “was arrested and convicted of the offense of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in 1975,” (2) “was incarcerated for this offense for a period of two-and-one-half years,” and (3) had “no record of other criminal convictions.” Second, the parties stipulated that Trepal “does not have a history of violent behavior.” The defense called no witnesses and, apart from the stipulations, presented 24 no evidence. After deliberating for about one hour, the jury, by a 9 to 3 vote, recommended that the court impose the death penalty. The state trial court followed the jury’s recommendation and imposed the death penalty on the first-degree murder conviction. The state trial court sentenced Trepal to concurrent 90-year sentences on the remaining convictions.