Opinion ID: 1099664
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 34

Heading: Victim over 65

Text: Finally, concerning the victim being over the age of 65, the undisputed evidence presented at trial shows that Della Beaugh was over 70 years old when she was killed. Here, the state proved three of the four aggravating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt. While the state did not necessarily establish that the murders were committed in an especially heinous, atrocious or cruel manner, the failure of one or more statutory aggravating circumstances does not invalidate a death penalty if another statutory aggravating circumstance is supported by the record, as long as the evidence offered in support of the arguably unproved aggravating circumstances did not inject an arbitrary factor into the proceedings. Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862, 103 S.Ct. 2733, 77 L.Ed.2d 235 (1983); State v. Connolly, 96-1680, pp. 17-18 (La.7/1/97), 700 So.2d 810, 822. Here, the other three aggravating circumstances were clearly supported by the record, and the evidence introduced to support the failed statutory aggravating factor did not inject an arbitrary factor into the proceedings.