The second-degree murder conviction and life sentence imposed on a McCon­nellsburg man for a killing that occurred during a drug heist in Johnstown more than three years ago has been upheld by the Pennsyl­vania Superior Court.

The defendant, Stanley Leo Spriggs, 64, who is in­carcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview, was charged in the killing of Thomas Peebles, 25, of Monroeville, during a planned exchange of drugs and money at Solomon Homes in Johns­town July 17, 2015.

Police charged Spriggs and accomplices, Perry Henderson, 48, and Kenneth O. Simmons, 23, both of Mount Union, with traveling to Johnstown in search of drugs, and with approaching Peebles, who had agreed to provide the men with three bricks of heroin, or 150 bags, for $840.

Spriggs was the driver of a dark green sedan and was the person who came upon a former acquaintance in Johnstown who was able to set up the drug buy.

While Henderson and Simmons armed themselves and made entry into Solomon Homes to meet with Peebles, Spriggs stayed in the car.

According to the Superior Court ruling filed Tuesday, the intermediary began to feel uneasy when Henderson and Simmons refused to show the money for the heroin.

After Peebles showed Henderson and Simmons the drugs, the two men drew their weapons, placing a gun to the head of the intermediary and to Peebles’ chest.

The intermediary ran up a stairway and got away while a struggle ensued between Henderson and Peebles.

Peebles was shot by Henderson and died at the scene.

Johnstown detectives were called the scene and were told the men, in a dark green sedan, were on their way to the Altoona area.

Area police were notified, and the vehicle driven by Spriggs was stopped by a Cresson Township officer.

A search of the vehicle turned up the guns in the trunk.

Simmons, the youngest of the group, testified in the 2017 trial of Henderson and Spriggs.

A Cambria County jury found the two men guilty of murder in the second degree and robbery, among other charges, and Cambria Judge David J. Tulowitzki sentenced them to life.

Simmons, who pled to third-degree murder, is doing 11 to 25 years behind bars at SCI Albion, while Henderson is serving his sentence at SCI Greene.

Spriggs filed an appeal through his Altoona attorney, Matthew R. Dombrosky, who argued that Spriggs should not have been charged as a principal in the death because he was in the car when the killing occurred.

Dombrosky challenged the charge that Spriggs was a principal in both the robbery and killing of Peebles, but the Superior Court retorted, “It is well-established, however, that a defendant, who was not a principal in committing the crimes, may nevertheless be liable for the crime if he was an accomplice of a principal actor.”

“We fail to see why any defect in the criminal information is relevant to wheth­er the jury was presented with sufficient evidence to sustain a finding of accomplice liability,” ac­cording to the opinion written by Judge Mary J. Bowes.

Dombrosky also claimed the sentence of life without parole was too harsh.

He said Friday that he will discuss with Spriggs whether to request further review of the case by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

He also pointed out that there are bills before the General Assembly that would permit a lesser sentence than life for those who had no part in a killing, although they may have been an accomplice to the crime that led to the killing.

Dombrosky said that would be more appropriate for Spriggs, who was not present during the robbery and did not know of any plan to rob Peebles.

In total, Dombrosky presented 14 issues to the Superior Court involving every aspect of the case, from the stop of the vehicle, to the search of the car and the issuance of a search warrant to collect DNA from the guns that were found.

He challenged the photo array used to identify Spriggs; the refusal of the court to order separate trials for Henderson and Spriggs; the use of photos showing blood at the scene of the shooting; permission from the judge allowing Johns­town detective Lawrence Wagner to relate his interpretation of videos of the scene; and even whether the jury, during polling after the verdicts , was confused.

Superior Court Judge Gene Strassburger joined in the Bowes opinion, while Judge Carolyn H. Nichols concurred.

Spriggs has 30 days to request a Supreme Court review.