State of Missouri v. Craig Michael Wood

Summary

The Court affirmed Wood’s first-degree murder conviction and death sentence. It held that the challenged guilt-phase photographs, firearm evidence, and folder contents were admissible; the victim-impact evidence and penalty-phase closing argument did not warrant reversal; and the challenged juror was properly struck for cause. The Court further held that Missouri’s death-penalty procedure, including judicial resolution of a jury penalty-phase deadlock, did not violate the Sixth or Eighth Amendments, and that the death sentence was proportionate. Separate-opinion treatment is omitted as directed, although the supplied text contains a dissent contesting the firearm-evidence ruling, the closing argument, and the statutory treatment of mitigation weighing.