Opinion ID: 2157140
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: State v. Marko Bey

Text: On April 26, 1983, Carol Peniston left Neptune High School around 9:20 p.m. after attending a computer course at the school. She did not return home nor report to work the next day because Marko Bey accosted her in front of her apartment building. [2] He demanded that she give him money, but once he heard someone coming, he led her into a nearby shed and killed her. Bey admitted to killing Ms. Peniston, but did not know why he did it and acknowledged that it should not have happened. He stated that four-and-one-half hours before the murder, he had consumed 120 ounces of malt liquor, some straight rum and smoked a considerable amount of marijuana. Bey informed police that he became scared when he noticed that the victim looked at him while he rifled through her pocketbook. He stated that once Ms. Peniston saw his face, that's when I started hitting her, it just went too far, something that shouldn't have went on. Bey repeatedly struck Ms. Peniston, sexually assaulted her, took eight dollars and her car keys from her pocketbook, and left her to die. While on his way to Newark in her car, he collided with an iron fence. Defendant's fingerprints were found on the rear-view mirror of the abandoned car. Ms. Peniston's body was not found until May 3, 1983. Her pocketbook was found by someone near an old industrial building in Asbury Park. Shortly thereafter, the police discovered her body in a shed located near the building. An autopsy disclosed that she had been dead for several days before her body was found. The autopsy further disclosed that she had been beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled. The medical examiner concluded that Ms. Peniston's assailant had stomped on her chest because the assailant left an imprint of his sneaker on her chest. Her ribs were fractured and there was evidence of hemorrhaging of her right lung, vertebral column, and right atrium of the heart. It was determined that the ultimate cause of death, however, was ligature strangulation. Subsequent police investigation revealed that characteristics of spermatozoa found on the victim's coat were consistent with those of defendant's saliva, and that the imprint of defendant's sneakers was similar to the impression left on the victim's chest. Bey was charged with murder, felony murder, kidnaping, aggravated assault, aggravated sexual assault, robbery, and theft. The State alleged two aggravating factors: extreme suffering, and murder during the course of a felony. While awaiting trial for Ms. Peniston's murder, Bey was found guilty of murder and sexual assault in an unrelated criminal proceeding. That murder had been committed before the murder of Ms. Peniston. He was sentenced to death for the unrelated murder. A jury convicted defendant Bey for knowingly or purposely murdering Carol Peniston. The jury also convicted defendant of felony murder, first-degree kidnaping, second-degree aggravated assault, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree robbery, and third-degree theft. The state filed notice of two aggravating factors: c(4)(c) (extreme suffering) and c(4)(g) (during the course of a felony), and relied on the evidence adduced at the guilt phase, in addition to several photographs. The defendant presented testimony by his aunt and mother and an expert from the Center of Applied Social Research at Northeastern University. His mother and aunt's testimony was summarized by the Court as follows: Defendant's aunt testified about defendant's parents and childhood, stating that defendant was an illegitimate child whose father rejected him and whose mother, the sister of the witness, became an alcoholic and abused the defendant. According to his aunt, when defendant was fourteen years old, he began to drink alcoholic beverages and use drugs. He overdosed on alcohol and marijuana, and was hospitalized twice. Defendant's mother confirmed her sister's testimony and placed the blame for her son's conduct on herself. Defendant testified on his own behalf, apologized to Ms. Peniston's family, and stated that maybe if I never would have taken drugs it would never have happened.