Court Opinion

ID: 9762600
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:26:58.490626+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:35.659716
License: Public Domain

PAPADAKOS, Justice,
concurring.
I join in this opinion and agree that the evidence supports the finding of aggravating circumstance 5 (42 Pa.C.S. § 9711(d)(5)). Although I would not distinguish the instant case from the issue confronted in Commonwealth v. Caldwell, 516 Pa. 441, 532 A.2d 813 (1987), and Commonwealth v. Crawley, 514 Pa. 539, 526 A.2d 334 (1987), I agree with the conclusion of footnote 2 (At 784) that aggravating circumstance five (5) is satisfied if the motivation for the killing is to prevent the victim from being a witness against the killer in any prosecution that may be brought against the killer.