Criminal Justice
Prosecutors Stretch Felony Murder Statute in Nun’s Car Accident Death
An 18-year-old armed robbery suspect has been charged with felony murder after his suspected accomplice crashed the alleged getaway car and killed a nun.
The charge against William Robbins “represents a novel approach that could test the state’s felony murder statute,” the New York Times reports. Manhattan prosecutors used the law to charge both Robbins and his alleged accomplice, 20-year-old Dyson Williams.
Police say Robbins was driving the car last Tuesday when police halted the vehicle. Robbins complied with a police order to exit the car, but Dyson refused and sped off, according to the criminal complaint. The document alleges that Dyson crashed into another vehicle and a group of people, killing 83-year-old Sister Mary Celine Graham.
