Opinion ID: 1858107
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 32

Heading: Assignments 17(F) & (G)

Text: By way of this assignment, defendant complains the trial court erred when it failed to instruct the jury on the statutory definition of attempted perpetration of the underlying aggravating felonies as charged by the State, and when it failed to provide the jury with a complete instruction on the elements of the underlying aggravating felonies which must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Although there was no charge on an attempted perpetration of aggravated burglary or armed robbery, and one was not requested by the defense, the error, if any, is harmless. The evidence in this case overwhelmingly showed that both crimes were fully completed and not merely attempted. Uncontroverted evidence adduced at the guilt phase, and introduced during the penalty phase, demonstrated defendant entered the victims' home, armed himself, stabbed the Prestenbacks to death, and left, taking a wallet, watch, keys and car. The facts establish, beyond any conceivable reasonable doubt, the commission of an aggravated burglary and an armed robbery. Therefore, the failure to charge on an attempted robbery or burglary did not prejudice defendant in any way or render the sentencing unreliable. Additionally, the trial court did, in fact, read the list of aggravating circumstances urged by the State to the jury and re-charged the jurors on the elements of aggravated burglary and armed robbery. These assignments of error lack merit.