Georgia high court upholds murder for Savannah purse snatcher

Posted: January 24, 2007 - 6:24am

ATLANTA - The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday upheld the murder conviction of Arkeen Hunter for his part in the robbery of an elderly Savannah woman four years ago.

Sarah Price, 79, was in the parking lot of a Savannah grocery store when someone driving by in a truck snatched her purse. She fell down when her purse was yanked and later died from a head injury.

A jury convicted Hunter, who was driving the truck, of felony murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. A witness during the trial said Hunter told him another man grabbed the purse, and Hunter told police conflicting stories about whether he had been at the grocery store that day.

In his appeal to the state's highest court, Hunter argued that his lawyer did not properly explain a plea deal to him that prosecutors made before the trial. Under the deal, Hunter could have pleaded guilty to robbery, served five years in prison and had the murder charge against him dismissed.

His lawyer testified, however, that she had told Hunter the murder charge would be dropped as part of a deal.

Hunter also said that a mistrial should have been granted when part of his recorded interview with police was mistakenly played for jurors who heard the officer mention Hunter had been in jail.

Hunter's lawyer objected to the statement. The judge denied the move for a mistrial, instead instructing the jurors to ignore the comment and not use it as part of their verdict deliberations.

The Supreme Court justices, who unanimously upheld Hunter's conviction, decided that the judge's immediate reaction and speech to the jury was an appropriate response.

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