State of Tennessee v. Mario Hernandez Castillo

A Grainger County jury convicted the defendant of premeditated first degree murder, felony murder, especially aggravated robbery, and theft under $500. The trial court merged the felony murder conviction into the premeditated first degree murder conviction and ordered the defendant to serve an effective life sentence. The defendant raises the following issues on appeal: (1) whether the trial court erred in failing to suppress his statement to law enforcement officials; (2) whether the trial court erred in failing to allow the defense to introduce proof that the victim regularly dealt in illegal drugs and firearms; and (3) whether the evidence was sufficient to sustain his murder convictions. We remand for entry of an order merging the theft conviction into the especially aggravated robbery conviction but otherwise affirm the judgments of the trial court.