Cases Cited: Arizona Supreme Court.

• Jurisdiction: Arizona

(Editor’s Note: The statutory language “heinous, cruel, or depraved” denotes a single aggravating circumstance stated in the disjunctive. In some very early cases, the Court treated “heinous” and “depraved” as referring to distinct concepts. Since then, the Court has strongly tended to treat “heinous” and “depraved” as referring to a single concept, usually described as “heinous and depraved.” In reporting the result reached on this aggravator (heinous, cruel, or depraved), the Outline distinguishes the following findings: “heinous and depraved,” “cruel,” and “heinous and depraved, cruel.” Findings involving more than one of these adjectives (heinous, depraved, cruel) will be placed in quotations to keep clear that only one aggravator has been found.)

• State v. Ceja (Ceja I),113 Ariz. 39, 546 P.2d 6 (1976) (conviction reversed) (for Ceja II, see 115 Ariz. 413).

• State v. Murphy,113 Ariz. 416, 555 P.2d 1110 (1976) (death penalty reduced to life: the trial court forced the prosecutor to present aggravation).

• State v. Watson (Watson I),114 Ariz. 1, 559 P.2d 121 (1976) (remanded for capital sentencing hearing) (certiorari.denied, 430 U.S. 986 (1977)) (for Watson II, see 120 Ariz. 441).

• State v. Charles Lee,114 Ariz. 101, 559 P.2d 657 (1976) (remanded for capital sentencing hearing).

• State v. Richmond (Richmond I),114 Ariz. 186, 560 P.2d 41 (1976) (death penalty affirmed) (certiorari. denied, 433 U.S. 915 (1977) (habeas corpus granted because of limits on mitigation, Richmond v. Cardwell, 450 F. Supp. 519 (1978); later resentenced pursuant to Watson II) (for Richmond II, see 136 Ariz. 312).

• State v. Blazak (Blazak I),114 Ariz. 199, 560 P.2d 54 (1977) (death penalty affirmed) (later resentenced pursuant to Watson II) (for Blazak II, see 131 Ariz. 598).

• State v. Jordan (Jordan I),114 Ariz. 452, 561 P.2d 1224 (1976) (death penalty affirmed) (pursuant to Lockett, the death penalty was set aside on certiorari, 438 U.S. 911 (1978); the defendant was resentenced pursuant to Watson II) (for Jordan II, see 126 Ariz. 283).

• State v. Knapp (Knapp I),114 Ariz. 531, 562 P.2d 704 (1977) (death penalty affirmed) (later resentenced pursuant to Watson II) (for Knapp II, see 125 Ariz. 503).

• State v. Holsinger,115 Ariz. 89, 563 P.2d 888 (1977) (death penalty affirmed) (the defendant hired accomplices to kill Schornick so that he could reach a certificate of deposit held by Schornick and defendant’s mother-in-law, the killers broke into Schornick’s house, but Schornick’s housekeeper was killed and Schornick was wounded) (aggravation: risk of death to others, procurement of offense, pecuniary gain; mitigation: none).

• State v. Ceja (Ceja II),115 Ariz. 413, 565 P.2d 1274 (1977) (death penalty affirmed) (later resentenced pursuant to Watson II) (for Ceja I, see 113 Ariz. 39; for Ceja III, see 126 Ariz. 35).

• State v. Doss,116 Ariz. 156, 568 P.2d 1054 (1977) (death penalty reduced to life: mitigation outweighs aggravation) (the defendant shot the victim, whom he believed had insulted him, during school registration in the gymnasium) (aggravation: risk of death to others; mitigation: impaired capacity).

• State v. Bishop (Bishop I),118 Ariz. 263, 576 P.2d 122 (1978) (death penalty affirmed) (pursuant to Lockett, death penalty set aside on certiorari, 439 U.S. 810 (1978); later resentenced pursuant to Watson II) (for Bishop II, see 127 Ariz. 531).

• State v. Arnett (Arnett I),119 Ariz. 38, 579 P.2d 542 (1978) (death penalty affirmed) (later resentenced pursuant to Watson II; for Arnett II, see 125 Ariz. 201).

• State v. Evans (Evans I),120 Ariz. 158, 548 P.2d 1149 [584 P.2d 1149] (1978) (remanded for resentencing pursuant to Watson II) (for Evans II, see 124 Ariz. 526).

• State v. Steelman (Steelman I),120 Ariz. 301, 585 P.2d 1213 (1978) (remanded for resentencing pursuant to WatsonII) (for Steelman II, see 126 Ariz. 19).

• State v. Watson (Watson II), 120 Ariz. 441, 586 P.2d 1253 (1978) (remanded for resentencing) (cert. denied, 440 U.S. 924 (1979)) (for Watson I, see 114 Ariz. 1; for WatsonIII, see 129 Ariz. 60).

• State v. Morales,120 Ariz. 517, 587 P.2d 236 (1978) (conviction reversed).

• State v. Melendez,121 Ariz. 1, 588 P.2d 294 (1978) (conviction reversed).

• State v. Valencia (Valencia I),121 Ariz. 191, 589 P.2d 434 (1979) (remanded for resentencing pursuant to WatsonII) (for Valencia II, see 124 Ariz. 139).

• State v. Edwards,122 Ariz. 206, 594 P.2d 72 (1979) (remanded for resentencing pursuant to Watson II) (the conviction was reversed on certiorari, 451 U.S. 477 (1981)).

• State v. Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith I),123 Ariz. 231, 599 P.2d 187 (1979) (remanded for resentencing pursuant to Watson II) (for Joseph Smith II, see 131 Ariz. 29).

• State v. Carriger (Carriger I),123 Ariz. 335, 599 P.2d 788 (1979) (death penalty affirmed) (cert. denied, 444 U.S. 1049 (1980)) (subsequently challenged on PCR) (for Carriger II, see 132 Ariz. 301).

• State v. Brookover,124 Ariz. 38, 601 P.2d 1322 (1979) (death penalty reduced to life: mitigation outweighs aggravation) (during a purchase of marijuana, the defendant shot the victim, who was supplying the marijuana) (aggravation: prior life felony; mitigation: impaired capacity).

• State v. Valencia (Valencia II), 124 Ariz. 139, 602 P.2d 807 (1979) (remanded for a capital sentencing hearing: the trial judge had an improper discussion with the victim’s relative) (for Valencia I, see 121 Ariz. 191; for ValenciaIII, see 132 Ariz. 248).

• State v. Lujan,124 Ariz. 365, 604 P.2d 629 (1979) (death penalty reduced to life: aggravation set aside).

• State v. Evans (Evans II), 124 Ariz. 526, 606 P.2d 16 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (the defendant shot the bartender during the robbery of a tavern) (aggravation: prior violent felony; mitigation: none) (cert. denied, 449 U.S. 891 (1980)) (subsequently challenged on PCR) (for Evans I, see 120 Ariz. 158; for Evans III, see 147 Ariz. 57).

• State v. Arnett (Arnett II),125 Ariz. 201, 608 P.2d 778 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (at a rural construction site where he and the victim had camped, the defendant shot the victim and stole from him valuables and a vehicle) (aggravation: prior life felony, prior violent felony; mitigation: age, family background, emotional problems, sexually assaulted as a child, brutalities of prison, remorse) (subsequently challenged on PCR) (for Arnett I, see 119 Ariz. 38; for Arnett III, see 158 Ariz. 15).

• State v. Mata (Mata I),125 Ariz. 233, 609 P.2d 48 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (at their apartment, the defendant and his accomplice beat and raped the victim, an acquaintance, and then drove her away from the apartment and slit her throat) (aggravation: prior life felony, “heinous, cruel, or depraved”; mitigation: none) (cert.denied, 449 U.S. 938 (1980)) (death penalty later challenged on motion to stay execution) (for Mata II, see 185 Ariz. 319).

• State v. Madsen,125 Ariz. 346, 609 P.2d 1046 (1980) (death penalty reduced to life: both aggravating circumstances found by the trial court set aside) (cert.denied, 449 U.S. 873 (1980)).

• State v. Sylvester Smith,125 Ariz. 412, 610 P.2d 46 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (following an argument with the victim at a party, the defendant left, came back with a gun, and shot the victim) (aggravation: prior life felony, prior violent felony; mitigation: none).

• State v. Knapp (Knapp II),125 Ariz. 503, 611 P.2d 90 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (defendant started a fire in the bedroom of his two sleeping children, causing their deaths) (aggravation: “heinous, cruel, or depraved”; mitigation: no prior criminal record) (subsequently challenged on PCR) (for Knapp I, see 114 Ariz. 532 [114 Ariz. 531]; for Knapp III, see 127 Ariz. 65).

• Adamson v. Superior Court (Adamson I), 125 Ariz. 579, 611 P.2d 932 (1980) (special action review: holding that capital murder prosecution could proceed) (for Adamson II, see 136 Ariz. 250).

• State v. Steelman (Steelman II),126 Ariz. 19, 612 P.2d 475 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (in a murder spree that preceded and followed these killings, the defendant and Gretzler forced their way into the condominium of the two victims, and bound and shot them) (aggravation: prior life felonies, prior violent felonies, “heinous and depraved”; mitigation: impaired capacity) (cert. denied, 499 U.S. 913 (1980)) (for Steelman I, see 120 Ariz. 301).

• State v. Ceja (Ceja III),126 Ariz. 35, 612 P.2d 491 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (the defendant shot and killed two sellers of marijuana to steal it) (aggravation: “heinous and depraved”; mitigation: none) (for Ceja II, see 115 Ariz. 413).

• State v. Gretzler (Gretzler I),126 Ariz. 60, 612 P.2d 1023 (1980) (remanded for resentencing pursuant to WatsonII) (for Gretzler II, see 128 Ariz. 583).

• State v. Jordan (Jordan II),126 Ariz. 283, 614 P.2d 825 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (the defendant shot the proprietor of grocery store during a robbery) (aggravation: prior life felonies, prior violent felonies; mitigation: none) (cert. denied, 449 U.S. 986 (1980) (subsequently challenged on PCR) (for Jordan I, see 114 Ariz. 452; for Jordan III, see 137 Ariz. 504).

• State v. Clark,126 Ariz. 428, 616 P.2d 888 (1980) (death penalty affirmed) (on a ranch, the defendant stabbed to death one fellow wrangler, shot to death another, and shot and killed the two ranch owners, stealing valuables and a vehicle) (aggravation: expectation of pecuniary gain, depravity; mitigation: age, family background, lack of adult criminal record, emotional problems) (cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1067 (1980)).

• State v. McDaniel (McDaniel I),127 Ariz. 13, 617 P.2d 1129 (1980) (conviction reversed) (for McDaniel II, see 136 Ariz. 188).

• State v. Knapp (Knapp III), 127 Ariz. 65, 618 P.2d 235 (1980) (PCR review) (affirming trial court’s denial) (for Knapp II, see 125 Ariz. 503).

• State v. Bishop (Bishop II),127 Ariz. 531, 622 P.2d 478 (1981) (death penalty affirmed) (the defendant and his accomplice were traveling with the victim, they...