State v. Pyle

532 P.2d 1309 (Kan. 1975)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Pyle (D) lived with his grandmother and D was a major beneficiary in her will. D was removed from the will, but D never found that out. The grandmother's ranch was destroyed by fire on the 8th of April. D's grandmother was last seen on the 5th of April. D confessed to murder and arson. No trace of the body was ever found. Evidence was entered at trial that D tried to create a false impression that his grandmother was drinking excessively, that D made a false alarm of a fire two days before the actual fire, that D was going to get the farm one way or another, and that D had prematurely displayed prior knowledge of the fire. D moved for an acquittal on grounds of corpus delicti because there was no body. That motion was denied. D raised the same issue on appeal.