People State New York v. Richard M. La Belle

On November 30, 1963 the body of Rose Mary Snay was found in a culvert in the Town of Schaghticoke, Rensselaer County. On December 3, 1963 the appellant, Richard M. La Belle, and his brother, Edward F. La Belle, were arrested in the City of Troy, N. Y., by the New York State Police and charged with the girl's murder. After having submitted to a lie detector test and after a period of questioning by various members of the State Police, the defendant, Richard La Belle, gave a statement to the police indicating that he had been with Edward and the victim on the night of her murder and had been present in Edward's car while the latter had sexual intercourse with the girl on two occasions and was seated in the car when his brother, at this point outside of the car with the girl following the second rape, struck and killed her. This statement, while placing the defendant at the scene of the crime, also tended to exculpate him, as it recounted how he had at various points in the course of the evening attempted to intercede with Edward on the girl's behalf and it also indicated his shock and surprise at his brother's actions and his own fear that his brother would harm him as well if he did not keep silent and co-operate in disposing of the girl's body.