Francisco S.A. Ignacio and Antonio S.A. Ignacio v. People of the Territory of Guam

The Ignacio brothers, Francisco and Antonio, appeal from the conviction in the District Court for the Territory of Guam of first degree murder and a sentence of life imprisonment imposed on each of the appellants. The victim of the homicide was Gary H. Jaasma, a sailor in the United States Navy sta tioned on the island of Guam. At the time Jaasma was killed, Antonio Ignacio was a few months short of his seventeenth birthday and his brother Francisco was in his early twenties.

On July 14, 1967, Jaasma was found dead behind a bowling alley in Asan, Guam. The next day, July 15, pursuant to the investigation of an auto theft on July 13, 1967, and to the investigation of gunshots heard coming from appellants’ house, a search warrant’ was obtained to search the Ignacio residence. During the search, bucket seats from the stolen auto and a number of firearms were found and the appellants were taken into custody. An amended information charging them with murder was filed on July 31, 1967; counsel was appointed on August 3, 1967; and they were tried and convicted of first degree murder on September 11 and 12,1967.

Appellants urge an appeal that numerous errors of law were committed in the…