State v. Thompson

Larry Thompson (defendant) threatened to kill his wife, Roberta Palma, if she filed for divorce; days after she filed, he dragged her into their home, and a 911 recording captured four gunshots over 27 seconds before police found her dead. The trial court instructed the jury that the state needed only to show Thompson had time to reflect, not that he actually did, and the jury convicted him of first-degree murder. The court of appeals reversed for requiring actual reflection, and the state supreme court granted review.