Opinion ID: 1945963
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Burglary of the Sporting Goods Store

Text: On April 8, 1997, defendant, an eighteen-year-old high school student, suggested to a friend, Michael Conklin, that they burglarize Adventure Sports, a sporting goods store on Route 23 in Franklin Borough, Sussex County. Defendant explained that he wanted to steal several guns that he had viewed at the store, and Conklin agreed to help. Defendant arrived at Conklin's house that evening to execute the plan. After talking for a few minutes, defendant and Conklin left, with Conklin driving defendant's automobile. Defendant and Conklin drove past the police station and around Franklin to determine if any police officers were in the area. Conklin dropped defendant off at the store, parked the car at a nearby apartment complex, and waited for defendant's return. Defendant smashed the front window of the store with a baseball bat, smashed a display case, and removed three firearms, a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber revolver, and a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The .22 and.45 caliber weapons would later be used by defendant and a different friend to commit two homicides. About twenty minutes after being dropped off, defendant returned to Conklin's location. Defendant entered the automobile and instructed Conklin to drive to a nearby laundromat. There, defendant hid the three guns under the hood of the car and changed his pants. Defendant and Conklin returned to Conklin's house, where defendant spent the night. The next morning defendant displayed the three guns to Conklin and gave him the .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Defendant placed the other two guns in a duffle bag and left Conklin's house.