High Court rejects rehearing for Fiegehen

The Nevada Supreme Court has refused to rehear Christopher Fiegehen's appeal of his conviction in the murder and attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend's parents.

Fiegehen was convicted of murdering Alan Chorkey with a knife and shooting Lorelle Chorkey twice in the chest at their Douglas county home in February 2002. He fled the state and was at large for two months until captured by police in Indiana.

He was convicted of murder, attempted murder and home invasion, but his lawyers appealed saying the jury failed to designate that the conviction was for first-degree murder. Nevada law requires a jury designate a degree in a murder conviction or the trial is nullified.

But the court said the jury found Fiegehen guilty of felony murder which is, by legal definition, first-degree murder.

Fiegehen's lawyers asked for a rehearing but the court denied it saying the petition failed to demonstrate the original decision "improperly resolved any issue of constitutional dimension."

The next step in the case will probably be a writ of habeas corpus challenging technical aspects of the conviction and the quality of Fiegehen's legal representation during trial.

Fiegehen is serving two life terms without possible parole and two 20-year terms for attempted murder plus 15 years for home invasion. All the sentences were made consecutive by Douglas District Judge David Gamble.