Opinion ID: 1310716
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Verdicts of the Jury.

Text: In another assignment of error, neither briefed nor argued, Stamper stated that the verdicts upon the capital murder indictments were unsupported by the evidence and were inconsistent in assigning different reasons for fixing his punishment at death. The verdict in the Staples capital murder was based upon both alternatives, the probability that Stamper would be a continuing threat to society, and his outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman conduct in committing the offense. The verdicts in the other capital murder cases were grounded solely upon the first alternative. All three verdicts were amply supported by the evidence, and the difference in the findings was justified. The jury obviously found aggravation in the killing of Staples but not in the other two murders. Indeed, there was no evidence that Cooley or Mrs. Hicks had been beaten or cut as had Staples.