Heyward v. State

Summary

The court held that Heyward failed to establish prejudice from trial counsel’s decision to request a voluntary-manslaughter instruction only for the malice-murder charge and not for felony murder. The evidence of longstanding marital conflict, the events preceding the shooting, and the available cooling-off period did not create a reasonable probability that the jury would have chosen voluntary manslaughter instead of felony murder. Her convictions and sentence were therefore affirmed.