maynard cartwright argued april decided june respondent disgruntled married couple entered couple home shot wife twice shotgun shot killed husband slit wife throat stabbed twice respondent tried oklahoma found guilty murder husband jury imposed death penalty upon finding two statutory aggravating circumstances including circumstance murder especially heinous atrocious cruel established circumstances outweighed mitigating evidence oklahoma criminal appeals affirmed direct appeal later affirmed denial state collateral relief federal district denied respondent habeas corpus petition appeals reversed holding statutory words heinous atrocious cruel face offer sufficient guidance jury escape strictures furman georgia also ruled oklahoma courts adopted limiting construction cured infirmity concluding construction utilized state appellate simply declared facts case plainly especially heinous atrocious cruel death penalty warranted unconstitutionally vague eighth amendment federal constitution therefore enjoined execution death sentence without prejudice state proceedings redetermination sentence held applied case statutory aggravating circumstance unconstitutionally vague pp state contention factual circumstances may plainly characterize killing especially heinous atrocious cruel represents improper due process clause approach vagueness fails recognize rationale eighth amendment cases furman supra progeny proper analysis vagueness claim focuses whether challenged aggravating circumstance adequately informs jury must find order impose death penalty whether leaves jury unchanneled discretion make arbitrary capricious decision godfrey georgia applied analysis controls case language oklahoma provision gave guidance jury outrageously wantonly vile horrible inhuman language held unconstitutional godfrey moreover oklahoma addition word especially limited overbreadth aggravating factor addition outrageously wantonly word vile language considered godfrey furthermore state appellate factual approach construction indistinguishable action georgia godfrey failed cure jury unfettered discretion satisfy eighth amendment pp state complaint appeals erroneously ruled torture serious physical abuse constitutionally acceptable limiting construction aggravating circumstance unfounded since although noted cases requirement held curative expressly refrained directing state adopt particular construction contention death penalty stand jury found another unchallenged aggravating circumstance sufficient sustain sentence also unpersuasive since case decided oklahoma procedure attempting save death penalty one several aggravating circumstances found jury held invalid unsupported evidence simply vacated death sentence automatically imposed sentence significance case state appellate decisions issued appeals decision adopt limiting construction aggravating circumstance longer automatically set aside death penalty one several aggravating circumstances invalid inapplicable must decided first instance oklahoma courts proceedings redetermination appropriate sentence pp white delivered opinion unanimous brennan filed concurring opinion marshall joined post susan stewart dickerson assistant attorney general oklahoma argued cause petitioners briefs robert henry attorney general david lee caroline emerson sandra howard assistant attorneys general mandy welch appointment argued cause filed briefs respondent brief amici curiae urging reversal filed state alabama et al siegelman attorney general alabama ed carnes assistant attorney general attorneys general respective follows robert corbin arizona duane woodard colorado james jones idaho william guste louisiana michael moore mississippi william webster missouri brian mckay nevada stephen merrill new hampshire lacy thornburg north carolina roger tellinghuisen south dakota michael cody tennessee david wilkinson utah mary sue terry virginia joseph meyer wyoming kenneth stuart gallant filed brief roger dale hayes amicus curiae urging affirmance richard neuhoff filed brief california appellate project amicus curiae justice white delivered opinion may eating evening meal muskogee county oklahoma home hugh charma riddle watched television living room point riddle left living room proceeding towards bathroom encountered respondent cartwright standing hall holding shotgun struggled gun shot twice legs man recognized disgruntled proceeded living room shot killed hugh riddle riddle dragged hall bedroom tried use telephone respondent however entered bedroom slit riddle throat stabbed twice hunting knife riddles given christmas left house riddle survived called police respondent arrested two days later charged murder respondent tried found guilty charged state relying three statutory aggravating circumstances sought death penalty jury found two established first defendant knowingly created great risk death one person second murder especially heinous atrocious cruel okla tit finding aggravating circumstances outweighed mitigating evidence jury imposed death penalty oklahoma criminal appeals affirmed direct appeal cartwright state cert denied later affirmed denial state collateral relief cartwright state cert denied respondent sought federal habeas corpus several grounds district rejected including claim death sentence invalid rested wholly part unconstitutional aggravating circumstance namely unconstitutionally vague overbroad aggravating circumstance murder especially heinous atrocious cruel panel appeals tenth circuit affirmed rehearing en banc granted limited claim concerning challenged aggravating circumstance en banc recognized jury found two aggravating circumstances one unchallenged noted cases death sentence rested part invalid aggravating circumstance oklahoma courts reweigh aggravating mitigating circumstances effort save death penalty rather death sentence vacated sentence automatically imposed oklahoma provision curing appeal sentencer consideration invalid aggravating circumstance therefore necessary consider vagueness challenge one aggravating circumstances proceeded unanimously sustained challenge stated words heinous atrocious cruel face offer sufficient guidance jury escape strictures judgment furman georgia view oklahoma courts adopted limiting construction cured infirmity relied upon affirm death sentence case concluded oklahoma criminal appeals construction aggravating circumstance unconstitutionally vague eighth amendment death sentence accordingly held invalid execution enjoined without prejudice proceedings state redetermination sentence conviction petitioner sought review tenth circuit holding aggravating circumstance unconstitutionally vague conflict appeals tenth circuit criminal appeals oklahoma importance constitutional issue orderly proper administration state statutes granted certiorari limited issue affirm judgment appeals appeals care reviewed evolution interpretation especially heinous atrocious cruel aggravating circumstance oklahoma criminal appeals including decision case reading cases oklahoma considered attitude killer manner killing suffering victim relevant sufficient support aggravating circumstance refused hold one factors must present murder satisfy aggravating circumstance rather oklahoma simply reviewed circumstances murder decided whether facts made aggravating circumstance ibid normally defer courts appeals interpretation state law see reason accept appeals statements state law case especially since state challenge reading oklahoma cases state however takes issue appeals conclusion approach also employed case interpreting applying challenged aggravating circumstance unconstitutional insists cases factual circumstances plainly characterize killing especially heinous atrocious cruel affirmance death penalty proper understand argument statutory provision governing criminal case unconstitutionally vague circumstances said reasonable certainty fall within reach language issue put another way circumstances reasonable person recognize covered statute unconstitutionally vague even language fail give adequate notice covered circumstances well difficulty state argument presents due process clause approach vagueness fails recognize rationale cases construing applying eighth amendment objections vagueness due process clause rest lack notice hence may overcome specific case reasonable persons know conduct risk vagueness challenges statutes threatening first amendment interests examined light facts case hand statute judged basis powell mazurie palmer city euclid per curiam national dairy claims vagueness directed aggravating circumstances defined capital punishment statutes analyzed eighth amendment characteristically assert challenged provision fails adequately inform juries must find impose death penalty result leaves appellate courts kind discretion held invalid furman georgia furman held georgia capital punishment statute applied arbitrary capricious manner principled means provided distinguish received penalty stewart concurring white concurring since furman cases insisted channeling limiting sentencer discretion imposing death penalty fundamental constitutional requirement sufficiently minimizing risk wholly arbitrary capricious action gregg georgia opinion stewart powell stevens jj white concurring judgment spaziano florida lowenfield phelps godfrey georgia relevant applied central tenet eighth amendment law aggravating circumstance issue permitted person sentenced death offense outrageously wantonly vile horrible inhuman involved torture depravity mind aggravated battery victim jury instructed words statute verdict recited murder outrageously wantonly vile horrible inhuman georgia affirming death sentence held language used jury objectionable evidence supported finding presence aggravating circumstance thus failing rule whether facts offense involved torture aggravated battery victim although georgia cases spoken terms presence absence factors decision review held application aggravating circumstance unconstitutional saying case us georgia affirmed sentence death based upon finding offense outrageously wantonly vile horrible inhuman nothing words standing alone implies inherent restraint arbitrary capricious infliction death sentence person ordinary sensibility fairly characterize almost every murder outrageously wantonly vile horrible inhuman view may fact one members jury case subscribed preconceptions dispelled trial judge sentencing instructions gave jury guidance concerning meaning aggravating circumstance terms fact jury interpretation circumstance subject sheer speculation omitted think appeals quite right holding godfrey controls case first language oklahoma aggravating circumstance issue especially heinous atrocious cruel gave guidance outrageously wantonly vile horrible inhuman language jury returned verdict godfrey state contention addition word especially somehow guides jury discretion even term heinous untenable say something especially heinous merely suggests individual jurors determine murder heinous whatever means ordinary person honestly believe every unjustified intentional taking human life especially heinous godfrey supra likewise godfrey addition outrageously wantonly term vile limit overbreadth aggravating factor second conclusion oklahoma events recited adequately supported jury finding indistinguishable action georgia godfrey failed cure unfettered discretion jury satisfy commands eighth amendment oklahoma relied facts cartwright motive getting even victims lay wait murder victim heard blast wounded wife brutally attacked surviving wife attempted conceal deeds attempted steal victims belongings conclusion facts jury verdict murder especially heinous atrocious cruel supportable cure constitutional infirmity aggravating circumstance state complains however appeals ruled valid especially heinous atrocious cruel aggravating circumstance must construed require torture serious physical abuse error however agree appeals imposed requirement noted cases requirement sufficed validate otherwise vague aggravating circumstance expressly refrained directing state adopt specific curative construction aggravating circumstance issue also hold kind torture serious physical abuse limiting construction heinous atrocious cruel aggravating circumstance constitutionally acceptable state also insists death penalty stand jury found two aggravating circumstances one unchallenged sufficient sustain sentence case decided however oklahoma criminal appeals attempt save death penalty one several aggravating circumstances found jury found invalid unsupported evidence tenth circuit said provision curing appeal sentencer consideration invalid aggravating circumstance case time state dispute appeals faulted undertaking state courts refused true since decision appeals oklahoma criminal appeals restricted heinous atrocious cruel aggravating circumstance murders torture serious physical abuse present stouffer state time decided necessarily set aside death penalty appeal one several aggravating circumstances found invalid unsupported evidence see also castro state cert denied significance decisions criminal appeals present case matter state courts decide first instance like appeals judgment without prejudice proceedings state courts redetermination appropriate sentence judgment appeals affirmed join opinion except insofar judgment without prejudice sentencing proceedings expressly preclude reimposition death penalty adhering view death penalty circumstances cruel unusual punishment prohibited eighth fourteenth amendments gregg georgia direct resentencing proceedings circumscribed state may reimpose death sentence