Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 13, 1991 TAG: 9103130204
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: VICTORIA RATCLIFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Prosecutors asked Judge Kenneth Trabue to amend the indictment against Becky Hodges King "based on our review of the facts and the trigger-man rule in Virginia as we understand it," according to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Bill Broadhurst.
King and her husband, Danny Lee King, both had been indicted on capital murder in the Oct. 11 stabbing death of Carolyn Horton Rogers.
But because "only the person who inflicted the lethal blow can receive the death penalty," prosecutors decided to ask the judge to amend the indictment against Becky King, Broadhurst said.
But prosecutors will not say they believe it was Danny King who inflicted the lethal blow, said Chief Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach. "We're not getting into any theory of the case right now," he said.
Becky King's trial is scheduled to begin March 25 and is expected to last one week. Defense attorneys asked Trabue on Tuesday for a continuance, saying they needed time to follow up on some more leads. But the judge denied the request.
Becky King's attorneys said in January that they believe other people may have been involved in Rogers' death.
The attorneys said then that they based their beliefs on statements by Danny King "that third parties may have been involved to some extent."
In addition to murder, the Kings are charged with robbing Rogers, who was killed in a Southwest Roanoke County house she had listed for sale. They also are charged with forging and passing two of Rogers' checks.
Keywords:
ROMUR
by CNB