delivered the opinion of the court:
A jury convicted defendant Juan Martinez of home invasion, residential burglary, and first-degree felony murder of his co-felon Raymond Medrano, but found him not guilty of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. He was sentenced to concurrent terms of 30 years for first-degree felony murder and 10 years for home invasion. On appeal defendant contends that: (1) he was convicted improperly of first-degree felony murder because the shooter’s actions were lawfully justified; (2) he was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel; and (3) his conviction and 10-year sentence fоr home invasion must be vacated because it was a lesser included offense of felony murder.
Manuel Andrade testified that in the early morning hours of November 12, 1999, he and his roommate, Francisco Garcia, were sleeping in their apartment at 315 East Kensington. Prior to going to bed, Andrade had locked both the bolt lock and the chain on his apartment door. The only way to open the bolt lock was with a key. Andrade was awakened by the sound of someone trying to open his apartment door. He grabbed a flashlight and his gun and saw defendant and Medrano trying to enter his apartment. They alrеady had unbolted the door and were trying to unhook the chain. When Andrade asked them what they wanted, they broke down the door and entered the apartment. Medrano, who was wearing a mask, pointed a gun at Andrade and told him to hand over his money and gun. Defendant was not wearing a mask and did not have a gun.
Andrade ran into the kitchen and started banging pots and yelling for help. WTien Andrade tried to hide behind the refrigerator door, Medrano threw objects that were on top of the refrigerator at him. Medrano then shot at Andrade five or six times, hitting him once in the arm. Andrade shot at Medrano. Medrano then ran out of the apartment. Defendant pointed his finger at Andrade pretending that he had a gun. Andrade yelled to Garcia, who was hiding in a closet, to get his other gun. Defendant then ran. Andrade walked out of his apartment door and saw Medrano lying on the ground outside the building.
Officer Keith Threatt testified that he responded to a call of shots fired at 315 East Kensington at 3:50 a.m. on November 12, 1999. At the scene he saw Medrano’s body lying on the ground near the rear of the building. Medrano was dressed in black from head to toe, including black gloves and a black ski mask. Inside the apartment, Threatt found a wounded Andrade.
The parties stipulated that Medrano died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Joachim Torres, owner of the building at 315 East Kensington, testified that defendant previously had rented the same apartment occupied by Andrade. Defendant failed to return the apartment keys when he moved out and the locks were never changed.
On November 14, 1999, defendant gave a videotaped statement to the assistant State’s Attorney. Defendant stated that on the morning of November 12, 1999, Medrano informed defendant of his plan to rob a house. Medrano planned to grab the homeowner in a headlock whilе defendant took the most valuable things from the apartment. When Medrano picked up defendant a few hours later, he gave defendant a mask and they proceeded to 315 East Kensington. The two men entered the apartment building and walked up to Andrade’s apartment, the same apartment defendant had lived in a year earlier. As Medrano was knocking down the door, Andrade showed his gun. Medrano then showed his gun to Andrade. Defendant claimed that he did not know Medrano had a gun with him. Andrade began shooting. As soon as defendant heard gunshots he ran.
Defendant presented no evidence. The jury found defendant guilty of home invasion, residential burglary, and first-degree felony murder of Medrano and not guilty of attempted murder of Andrade and aggravated battery with a firearm against Andrade. Defendant unsuccessfully moved for a new trial. The circuit court merged defendant’s conviction for residential burglary into his conviction for home invasion and sentenced defendant to concurrent terms of 30 years for first-degree felony murder and 10 years for home invasion.
I
Defendant first contends that his conviction for felony murder must be reversed because (1) the killing of Medrano was lawfully justified and therefore not within the statutory definition of felony murder; (2) the killing was not foreseeable; and (3) the jury was not instructed properly as to the elements of felony murder.
A
Defendant argues that his conviction for felony murder must be reversed because one of the essential elements of the offense, lack of lawful justification, was absent.
Pursuant to section 9 — 1(a)(3) of the Criminal Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/9 — 1(a)(3) (West 2000)) (section 9 — 1(a)(3)):
“A person who kills an individual without lawful justification commits first degree murder if, in performing the acts which cause the death:
(3) he is attempting or committing a forcible felony other than second degree murder.”
As the Stаte points out, “without lawful justification” is not an element of the offense of first-degree murder in this case. See People v. Williams,
In the case at bar, defendant never raised any affirmative defenses or presented any evidence showing that his actions werе legally justified. Defendant argues that because the actual shooter was the intended victim and his use of deadly force was legally justified, the absence of justifiable force became an element in this case. It is undisputed that Andrade acted in self-defense and defense of his dwelling and therefore was justified when he shot Medrano. According to defendant, the State’s proof placed this element at issue.
Defendant posits that because the actual shooter was legally justified when he killed Medrano, the killing does not fall within the statutory definition of felony murder. Defendant’s argument sеems to rest on an “agency” theory of the felony murder doctrine, i.e., because the actual shooter was justified in shooting the co-felon, then defendant was justified as well. Under such a theory “ ‘the doctrine of felony murder does not extend to a killing, although growing out of the commission of the felony, if directly attributable to the act of one other than the defendant or those associated with him in the unlawful enterprise.’ ” People v. Lowery,
“Consistent with the proximate cause theory, liability should lie for any death proximately related to the defendant’s criminal conduct.” (Emphasis added.) Dekens,
“It is immaterial whether the killing in such a case is intentional or accidental, or is committed by a confederate without the connivance of the defendant [citations] or even by a third person trying to prevent the commission of the felony.” 720 ILCS Ann. 5/9 — 1, Committee Comments — 1961, at 15 (Smith-Hurd 2002).
In Hickman defendant and his co-felons fled after they were seen by police committing a burglary. An officer who was pursuing the burglars mistakenly was shot and killed by another officer, who mistook him for one of the burglars. Our supreme court rejected defendants’ argument that they could not be found guilty of felony murder “because the death of [the officer] was the result of a justifiable and lawful act by another police officer who was not acting in concert with the defendants nor in furtherance of their conduct.” Hickman,
Our supreme court has noted that “[b]ecause of the extremely violent nature of felony murder, we seek the broadest bounds for the attachment of criminal liability.” People v. Dennis,
B
Defendant next argues that his conviction must be reversed because Medrano’s death was not the foreseeable consequence of defendant’s initial criminal acts. Specifically, defendant argues that Medrano’s death was not foreseeable because he did not know that Medrano was armed and he and Medrano did not plan to use аny force other than putting Andrade in a headlock. Defendant further contends that any notion of foreseeability was precluded by the jury acquitting him of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.
On review, a conviction will not be set aside on grounds of insufficient evidence unless the proof is so improbable or unsatisfactory that there remains a reasonable doubt as to defendant’s guilt. People v. Collins,
•5 Conviction for felony murder requires that decedent’s death must have been the direct and proximate result of defendant’s felony. Dekens,
In the present case, defendant initiated the chain of events when he, along with Medrano, broke into Andrade’s apartment in the middle of the night. It was entirely foreseeable that Andrade would try to resist their unlawful actions. See Hickman,
Without merit is defendant’s further argument that forseeability was precludеd by the jury’s acquittal of defendant on the charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm based on accountability. Defendant’s acquittal indicates a jury finding that defendant did not share the same criminal intent or engage in a common criminal design with Medrano as to those charges, presumably because defendant did not know Medrano was armed. According to defendant he could not foresee Medrano’s use of a gun that defendant did not know existed. It is irrelevant, however, that defendant did not anticipate the precise sequence of events that followed his unlawful entry into Andrade’s apartment. See Lowery,
When the evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, it cannot be said that no rational trier of fact could have found that Medrano’s death was a direct and foreseeable consequence of defendant’s original actions.
C
Defendant next argues that his felony murder conviction must be reversed because the jury was not instructed, properly as to the elements of felony murder. According to defendаnt, the felony murder issues instruction was improper because it omitted the statutory element of lack of justification. As discussed in point I.A., lack of justification was not an element of first-degree felony murder in the case at bar. See Williams,
Defendant further argues that the instructions on felony murder/ accountability (Instruction No. 5.03A, modified) 1 and the elements of felony murder (Instruction No. 7.02, modified) 2 conflicted. The State responds that the two instructions accurately state the law.
In reviewing the adequacy of jury instructions, the appellate court must consider the instructions as a whole to determine if they fully and fairly cover the law. People v. Nutall,
In the present case the instructions as а whole fully and fairly cover the law. Defendant could be accountable for the actions of Medrano, but not for the actions of Andrade, the intended victim. See People v. Williams,
The instructions as a whole correctly set forth the law of felony murder.
Defendant properly was convicted of felony murder.
II
Defendant next contends that he is entitled to a new trial because he was denied the effective assistance of counsel where his trial counsel admitted defendant’s participation in the predicate felonies, thereby effectively admitting guilt on the felony murder.
Ineffective assistance of counsel is established when a defendant shows that: (1) counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and (2) counsel’s error prejudicеd the defendant in that but for counsel’s shortcomings, the outcome of the proceeding would have been different. Strickland v. Washington,
Relying on People v. Chandler,
Our supreme court has revisited the Chandler holding several times and has noted that the determination in Chandler that counsel was ineffective was not based exclusively on counsel’s apparent failure to comprehend the law of felony murder and accountability. Apart from admitting the accuracy of defendant’s statement, which was sufficient to convict him, defense counsel in Chandler failed to cross-examine several key prosecution witnesses, conducted only cursory cross-examination of others, and called no witnesses to testify, including defendant, despite his assertion in his opening statement that defendant would testify and tell the jury what he did and did not do. See People v. Williams,
The case sub judice is more akin to Shatner, where the supreme court found that defendant had failed to establish ineffective assistance of counsel. In Shatner, defense counsel conceded the truth of defendant’s statement admitting his involvement in a crime, but claimed that an accomplice actually killed the victim. Defense counsel also thoroughly and vigorously cross-examined almost every State witness and argued that although defendant might be guilty of the underlying felony, he should not be convicted of murder because of his minimal involvement in the scheme. The supreme court noted that “[ujltimately, it was the defendant’s own statements, *** and not the actions or strategy of his counsel, which undermined any claim of innocence that defendant may have had. If a defendant enters a not-guilty plea in the face of overwhelming evidence of his guilt, we are unwilling to find that his counsel was ineffective simply because he failed to contrive a leak-proof theory of innocence on defendant’s behalf.” Shatner,
In the present case, defense counsel chose to concede the truth of defendant’s statement admitting his involvement in the plan to break into Andrade’s apartment with the intent to commit residential burglary. This strategy allowed counsel also to use the helpful parts of the statement, such as defendant’s contention that he did not know that Medrano was armed and that there was no plan to commit an armed robbery, to his benefit. It should be noted that defense counsel’s representation won defendant acquittals on the charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. Unlike Chandler, defense counsel’s strategy and actions did not amount to “no real defense at all.” Prior to trial, defense counsel unsuccessfully moved to quash defendant’s arrest and suppress evidence, including defendant’s videotaped statement. Counsel presented cogent opening and closing statements and thoroughly cross-examined the State’s key witnеsses. Counsel argued throughout trial that defendant was not guilty of murder because Medrano’s death was not a foreseeable consequence of defendant’s actions. Following the guilty verdict, counsel filed and argued a motion for a new trial raising, inter alia, the issue of legally inconsistent verdicts. As in Shatner, it was defendant’s own statements which undermined any claims of innocence he may have had. 3
Defendant argues that the focus of the ineffectiveness claim is not just on what counsel did, but also on what he failed to do. According to defendant, counsel should have challenged the application of the felony murder statute to the facts here by seeking dismissal of the charges and should have ensured that the jury was instructed that lack of justification was an element of felony murder. As discussed at length in point I, defendant’s arguments are without merit.
Here, as in Shatner, defense counsel’s performance was not deficient.
Ill
Finally, defendant contends that his conviction and 10-year sentence for home invasion must be vacated because home invasion was a lesser included offense of the felony murder for which he was also convicted and sentenced. According to defendant, home invasion served as the predicate felony for his first-degree felony murder conviction.
Defendant failed to object at the sentencing hearing to having been convicted and sentenced for home invasion on the basis that the home invasion was a lesser included offense of felony murder. Therefore, defendant has waived this issue. People v. Smith,
The State responds that defendant properly wаs convicted and sentenced for home invasion where the jury found defendant guilty of first-degree murder via a general finding of guilt. A general finding of guilt is presumed to be based on any good count in the indictment to which the proof is applicable. People v. Cardona,
In the present case the trial proceeded on two counts of felony murder, one predicated on home invasion and one predicated on residential burglary. Relying on Cardona, the State argues that because the jury entered a general guilty verdict for first-degree murder, defendant is guilty of both counts of felony murder. Therefore, defendant properly was sentenced on one count of felony murder predicated on residential burglary and one count of home invasion.
In support of this argument, the State maintains that defendant’s convictions for home invasion and residential burglary do not violate the one-act, one-crime rule, which provides that if more than one offense arises out of the same physical act, a defendant may not be convicted for more than one offense. See People v. King,
Similarly, in the present case the offenses of home invasion and residential burglary were carved from the same physical act of entering Andrade’s residence. Under the principles enunciated in McLaurin, defendant’s conviction for residential burglary cannot stand. Presumably recognizing this fact, the circuit court stated at the sentencing hearing that defendant’s residential burglary conviction merged into his conviction for home invasion. Consequently, without merit is the State’s contention that defendant was sentenced on one count of felony murder with a predicate felony of residential burglary and one count of home invasion. Defendant was sentenced on one count of felony murder with a predicate felony of home invasion and one count of home invasion.
Multiple convictions are improper if they are based on lesser included offenses. King,
Similarly, in the case at bar, because the home invasion is a lesser included offense of felony murder, the home invasion will not support a separate conviction and sentence. Defendant’s conviction and sentence for the lesser included offense of home invasion must be vacated.
For the reasons set forth above, the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County is affirmed in part and vacated in part.
Affirmed in part and vacated in part.
Notes
“To sustain the charge of first degree murder it is not necessary for the State to show that it was or may have been the original intent of the defendant that the deceased, Raymond Medrano, be killed. It is sufficient if the jury believes from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, or one for whose conduct he is legally responsible, combined to do an unlawful act, such as commit home invasion or residential burglary and that the deceased was killed as a foreseeable consequence of the parties committing that unlawful act.”
instruction No. 7.02, modified, provided in pertinent part:
“To sustain the charge of first degree murder the State must prove the following propositions:
First: That the defendant, or one for whose conduct he is lеgally responsible, performed the acts which ultimately resulted in the death of Raymond Medrano; and Second: That when the defendant, or one for whose conduct he is legally responsible, did so he was committing the offenses of home invasion and residential burglary.”
Defendant’s reliance on People v. Land,
The appellate decisions relied upon by the State were decided prior to the supreme court’s decision in McLaurin and therefore are not dispositive. See People v. Stokes,
