Court Opinion

ID: 9747401
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 15:13:46.336416+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:23.527973
License: Public Domain

FLAHERTY, Justice.,
dissenting.
I join the majority’s affirmance of appellant’s conviction, but I dissent to the holding that there was insufficient evidence to support the finding of the aggravating circumstance of torture. I would affirm both the conviction of first degree murder and the sentence of death.
42 Pa.C.S. § 9711(d)(8) states that an aggravating circumstance is a killing by means of torture. Torture is the intentional infliction of a considerable amount of pain and suffering on a victim which is unnecessarily heinous, atrocious or cruel manifesting exceptional depravity. Commonwealth v. Thomas, 522 Pa. 256, 277, 561 A.2d 699, 709 (1989). There must be an indication that the killer was not satisfied with the killing alone. Commonwealth v. Edmiston, 535 Pa. 210, 236, 634 A.2d 1078, 1091 (1993). Torture includes the infliction of *553intense pain to punish or coerce someone; it is torment or agony or anguish of body or mind. Commonwealth v. Nelson, 514 Pa. 262, 279, 523 A.2d 728, 737 (1987).
I believe the record belies the majority’s conclusion that the Commonwealth failed to prove torture as an aggravating circumstance. The record reflects that: Lori Auker was forcibly placed in appellant’s car, as shown by the presence of Lori’s hair in the door jamb; she was forcibly placed in the trunk of the car, as shown by the presence of her cat’s hair in the trunk; and she was subjected to the fear, anguish, and physical punishment of having to ride in appellant’s trunk. There was no evidence that Lori was dead before reaching the site, as no blood was found in the car or in the trunk. Further, there was no evidence that the victim immediately died from the numerous, painful stab wounds, so the jury could reasonably have inferred that Lori Auker was left alone to bleed to death and suffer greatly in the steep ravine.
I believe these facts, viewed in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth as verdict winner, are sufficient to support beyond a reasonable doubt the jury’s finding that the murder was committed by means of torture. The majority’s contrary conclusion, I believe, reflects the personal views of the justices rather than a proper application of our appellate standard of review.
CASTILLE, J., joins this dissenting opinion.