TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas Supreme Court upheld the capital murder conviction of a Topeka man who killed an 8-year-old girl and stuffed her body in a clothes dryer.
The court on Friday rejected an appeal from Billy Davis Jr., who was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the March 2012 beating, rape and death of Ah’liyah Irvin.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports (https://bit.ly/2q70Ko3 ) Davis’ attorney argued he was high on drugs and alcohol and didn’t intend to kill the girl, which is necessary for a capital murder conviction.
The court unanimously rejected the argument, saying Davis’ conduct before and after the crimes and the girl’s severe injuries all suggested premeditation.
The court reversed the rape conviction because rape is an element of the capital murder conviction.
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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, https://www.cjonline.com
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