Heyward v. State

Summary

The court affirmed Heyward’s convictions and sentence, holding that she failed to show prejudice from counsel’s decision to request a voluntary-manslaughter instruction only as a lesser offense of malice murder and not felony murder. Given the evidence of longstanding marital conflict, the events preceding the shooting, and the apparent opportunity to cool off, the court found no reasonable probability that the jury would have chosen voluntary manslaughter over felony murder if given that option.