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CASE ANNOTATIONS

1. "Hard 40" sentencing instruction examined and approved. State v. Perez, 251 Kan. 736, 840 P.2d 1118 (1992).

2. Notice provisions of K.S.A. 21-4624 are mandatory; failure of state to comply therewith requires sentence be vacated. State v. Deavers, 252 Kan. 149, 165, 843 P.2d 695 (1992).

3. Mid-deliberation jury instruction on premeditation, relevance of manner in which unconscious victim murdered, sufficiency of evidence establishing aggravating circumstances, precedential value of death penalty cases examined. State v. Kingsley, 252 Kan. 761, 787, 851 P.2d 370 (1993).

4. Balancing test not required; one aggravating factor may outweigh several mitigating factors. State v. Phillips, 252 Kan. 937, 943, 850 P.2d 877 (1993).

5. Aggravating factors sufficient to support recommendation of mandatory 40-year sentence examined. State v. Cromwell, 253 Kan. 495, 498, 856 P.2d 1299 (1993).

6. Whether court's failure to advise jury that mitigating factors must be found beyond a reasonable doubt is error examined. State v. Reed, 256 Kan. 547, 562, 886 P.2d 854 (1994).

7. Hard 40 sentence vacated where insufficient evidence of murder being committed in heinous, atrocious or cruel manner. State v. Cook, 259 Kan. 370, 396, 913 P.2d 97 (1996).

8. Cited; depraved heart second-degree murder (K.S.A. 21-3402(b)) adequately distinguishable from reckless involuntary manslaughter (K.S.A. 21-3404) by requiring a higher degree of recklessness; therefor not void for vagueness. State v. Robinson, 261 Kan. 865, 877, 934 P.2d 38 (1997).

9. "Heinous, atrocious or cruel" murder not analogous to "excessively brutal" aggravated battery; terms not related. State v. Jackson, 262 Kan. 119, 136, 936 P.2d 761 (1997).