State v. Henderson

Citations

• 353 Conn. 433

Syllabus

Convicted of murder and risk of injury to a child in connection with the stabbing death of the victim, the defendant's former girlfriend, in the pres- ence of the victim's twelve year old son, the defendant appealed to this court. Prior to the murder, the victim had been attempting to end her long- term relationship with the defendant allegedly because of the defendant's drug and alcohol abuse and his refusal or inability to contribute financially. She also had been attempting to force him to leave the home that they had been sharing. The defendant claimed that he was entitled to a new trial because the trial court improperly had denied his request for a jury instruc- tion on the affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance. Held: The trial court properly declined to instruct the jury on the affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance, as that court correctly concluded that a rational juror could not find by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant was suffering from an extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the murder. Although the evidence suggested that the defendant was exposed to an extremely unusual and overwhelming state that did not constitute mere annoyance or unhappiness, the evidence, even when viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant, did not demonstrate that the defendant lost self-control or that his ability to reason was overborne by extreme, intense feelings at the time of the murder, especially in view of his actions prior to the murder, his efforts to evade the police after the murder, and certain other conduct demonstrating consciousness of guilt and self-control. (One justice dissenting) Argued March 7—officially released September 23, 2025