dissenting.

I respectfully dissent, as I believe that the declarations and briefs that Appellant’s present counsel has submitted in this appeal are sufficient to raise factual questions pertaining to the claim that prior post-conviction counsel was ineffective in failing to litigate a challenge to the sentence of death deriving from the absence of life-history and mental-health mitigation evidence before the sentencing jury. Accordingly, I would remand for a post-conviction hearing on this claim.

Initially, the majority recognizes that a remand is the appropriate procedure for consideration of a properly supported claim of ineffective assistance of post-conviction counsel. See Majority Opinion at 534-35, 872 A.2d at 1182. Further, it indicates that a remand will not be withheld based on Appellant’s failure to develop sufficiently his claims of post-conviction counsel’s ineffectiveness, since, as of the time that Appellant’s brief was filed, the requirements for layering ineffectiveness claims were unclear. See id. at 535-37, 872 A.2d at 1183. Nevertheless, later in its opinion, the majority appears to alter course, relying on an asserted lack of sufficient development of the layered ineffectiveness dynamic to bolster its position that a remand is unnecessary. See, e.g., Majority Opinion, at 545 n. 11, 872 A.2d at 1188 n. 11.

To the extent that the majority’s treatment is internally inconsistent, I cannot support it; moreover, I disagree that Appellant’s claim is baldly asserted. In this regard, Appellant’s brief is framed from its opening around the notion that post-conviction counsel was ineffective:

[Appellant] was denied his right to the effective assistance of his initial PCRA counsel ... where counsel failed to conduct a complete and thorough investigation; and where counsel failed to present evidence supporting those claims counsel did raise at an evidentiary hearing. Accordingly, as described below, the PCRA court never had for its consideration the evidence readily available that established substantial and compelling mitigation evidence that should have *552been presented at the time of trial and never considered substantial and compelling record-based claims for relief.

* * *

The record in this case unquestionably establishes that his post-conviction counsel was ineffective. As set forth more fully below, PCRA counsel failed to discover, investigate and litigate both non-record background and mental health claims as well as record-based claims requiring relief and the resulting dismissal of [Appellant’s] PCRA petition, resulting in an invalid conviction and death sentence^] prejudiced [Appellant].

Constitutional effective representation requires, at a minimum, “an independent review of the record by competent counsel ...” Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551, 558, 107 S.Ct. 1990, 95 L.Ed.2d 539 (1987). As set forth below, there existed substantial and compelling record-based claims for relief directly challenging the validity of [Appellant’s] ... death sentence. Nevertheless, prior counsel failed to raise or litigate these issues.

Moreover, also as set forth more fully below, prior counsel failed to adequately investigate [Appellant’s] background and history and provide that critical mitigating evidence to mental health experts in order to identify significant cognitive, emotional and mental impairments that should have been presented in [Appellant’s] trial and sentencing hearing. Finally, the prejudice is clear on the record. Appellant was denied post-conviction review of meritorious claims challenging his invalid conviction and sentence. Counsel’s failure to investigate potential claims and his failure to present those claims to this Court deprived [Appellant] of his rights to meaningful, counseled PCRA review of his conviction and sentence....

Initial Brief of Appellant, at 6-7. Twenty-two pages of the brief are then dedicated to filling out the above outline by developing Appellant’s position as to why the asserted life-history and mental health evidence would have presented a substantially better case for imposition of a life sentence as opposed to death, and why the proffered evidence was avail*553able on reasonable investigation. The argument is advanced via substantial references to the trial, post-trial, and PCRA record, the declarations furnished on appellate post-conviction review, and relevant Pennsylvania and United States Supreme Court precedent. See id. at 49-71.1

On the merits of the underlying claim, much of the majority’s analysis centers on its repeated assertion that Appellant never informed his trial counsel of the alleged life-history and mental-health mitigation, and never raised the issue of his own accord in a post-trial evidentiary hearing. See Majority Opinion at 543-44 n. 9, 545 n. 11, 547-18, 872 A.2d at 1187 n. 9, 1188 n. 11, 1190. Although this Court continues on occasion to employ this and similar reasoning, it should by now be regarded as well established that the proper focus of the inquiry is on the investigation that counsel performed relative to such mitigation, and not on the actions that the capital defendant may or may not have taken on or of his own initiative. See Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510, 525-26, 123 S.Ct. 2527, 2537-38, 156 L.Ed.2d 471 (2003) (discussing capital counsel’s obligation to “discover all reasonably available mitigating evidence” and the directing focus of the ineffectiveness inquiry to counsel’s investigation); Commonwealth v. Malloy, 579 Pa. 425, 459-61, 856 A.2d 767, 788 (2004) (“The onus is not upon a criminal defendant to identify what types of evidence may be relevant and require development and pursuit. Counsel’s duty is to discovery such evidence through his own efforts, including pointed questioning of his client.”);2 Commomvealth v. Basemore, 560 Pa. 258, 290, 744 A.2d 717, 735 (2000) (“Obviously ... different light falls upon counsel’s perform*554anee depending upon whether he asked and was not told, or he did not ask and therefore was not told.” (citing Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 690-91, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2066, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984))). Thus, the clear and simple question implicated by Appellant’s claim is whether counsel at trial, on direct appeal, and at the post-conviction stage ever inquired into the relevant mental-health and life-history aspects of mitigation. Accord Wiggins, 539 U.S. at 525-26, 123 S.Ct. at 2537-38 (again, framing the relevant inquiry in terms of counsel’s duties, and not obligations on the part of the capital defendant himself). This, however, is a question that the majority never undertakes to address.3

On the record before this Court, nothing supports a conclusion that trial counsel conducted any investigation into mental-health and explanatory-type, life-history mitigation.4 Indeed, when specifically asked what avenues he explored with his client, trial counsel responded solely by way of reference to the character-affirmation line of inquiry. See N.T., October 27, 1995, at 152-53 (reflecting that counsel’s response to the question, “What mitigating evidence did you describe to [Appellant], as a defense attorney would put on or would like to inquire about to put on for him at the death penalty stage?” was merely to discuss Appellant’s employment history).5

*555Furthermore, there seems to me to be fairly widespread consensus that the sort of mental-health and explanatory-type life-history mitigation evidence presently proffered by Appellant can serve as effective mitigation. See generally Wiggins, 539 U.S. at 510, 123 S.Ct. at 2542; Williams, 529 U.S. at 396, 120 S.Ct. at 1514-15; Allen, 366 F.3d at 850-51 (“Defense counsel’s use of mitigation evidence to complete, deepen, or contextualize the picture of the defendant presented by the prosecution can be crucialf.]”); People v. Coleman, 168 Ill.2d 509, 214 Ill.Dec. 212, 660 N.E.2d 919, 934 (1995) (“We acknowledge the critical importance of a defendant’s background and mental health to the sentencing decision.”). The majority’s *556characterization of Appellant’s proffer of evidence that he and his mother were regularly and severely abused by the men in the household as “perhaps disheartening” does not eliminate the potentially mitigating effect of the evidence, to the extent that it would be believed by a fact finder. Thus, in my view, the essential inquiry is properly accomplished, in the first instance, by the PCRA court, which is best suited to sort through the credibility issues and make the necessary assessment of counsel’s stewardship on the basis of concrete findings as to the actual and required scope of the investigations, as well as the weight of any reasonably available mitigation evidence that was not pursued, in comparison to that which was offered at trial.6

OPINION

This is a direct appeal from the final order of the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County denying Appellant’s petition filed pursuant to the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA), 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 9541-9546.1 For the reasons that follow, we affirm the order of the PCRA court.

The facts underlying Appellant’s conviction, as set forth in this Court’s opinion on direct appeal, are as follow:

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on December 18, 1993, Troy Davis, Tyrone Greene and appellant departed Philadelphia by automobile for Coatesville in Chester County, Pennsylvania with the intent of committing a robbery in Coatesville. Appellant and his cohorts arrived in Coatesville at approximately 12:00 noon. Upon arriving in Coatesville, the three men decided to rob a [LJaundromat on Main Street. Appel*531lant and Greene proceeded into the [Ljaundromat while Davis waited in the car as the getaway driver. Appellant, armed with a loaded .357 caliber magnum revolver, went to the cashier’s area in the rear of the [Ljaundromat while Greene, armed with a .22 caliber revolver, stayed near the front entrance to the [Ljaundromat. Appellant withdrew his revolver and demanded that the victim give him the money from the [Ljaundromat. After the victim refused to give appellant the money, appellant fired a shot which grazed the victim’s head. Appellant then fired another shot from a distance of approximately four (4) to ten (10) inches which entered the back portion of the right side of the victim’s head and traversed through the victim’s brain causing instantaneous death. When appellant fired the fatal shot, his .357 caliber revolver was in double action firing mode, which would require nine pounds of pressure on the trigger to activate the hammer in order to fire a round.

After shooting the victim, appellant backed out of the [Ljaundromat waving his revolver at the ten (10) to fifteen (15) people in the [Ljaundromat. Appellant then fled in the getaway car to a house in Coatesville where appellant and his cohorts changed clothes and joked about their weapons with the man who resided at the house. The three men eventually left the Coatesville house and returned to Philadelphia where they changed clothes once again at a fast-food restaurant.

Between December 19, 1993 and December 24, 1993, detectives in the Chester County District Attorney’s Office interviewed three eye witnesses to the murder. On December 23, 1993, one of the witnesses identified appellant from a photographic array of eight (8) black males prepared by a Chester County detective. On December 24, 1993, a second eyewitness, independently from the first eyewitness, identified appellant from the same photographic array.

On December 27, 1993, an arrest warrant was issued for appellant’s involvement in the murder and robbery. At approximately 6:50 a.m. on December 28, 1993, officers of the Philadelphia Police Stakeout Unit arrested appellant at *532his mother’s home in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia police transported appellant to the Philadelphia Police Administration Building where appellant was processed and turned over to the Chester County detectives. After waiving his Miranda rights, appellant was questioned by the Chester County detectives in the Philadelphia Police Administration Building. Appellant then made a statement in which he confessed to his participation in the robbery and murder. Appellant, however, contended that the shooting was an accident which occurred during a struggle with the victim. Appellant’s statement was reduced to a typewritten document by a Chester County detective. Appellant ultimately reviewed, corrected, and signed the typewritten document.

Commonwealth v. Hall, 549 Pa. 269, 701 A.2d 190, 195-96 (1997) (footnotes omitted).

Following a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of first degree murder, carrying a firearm without a license, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and recklessly endangering another person. Appellant was acquitted of conspiracy to commit murder. Following the penalty hearing, a sentence of death was imposed.2 Appellant was represented at trial by Robert E. Miller, Esquire.

On appeal to this Court, Appellant was represented by new counsel, Vincent P. DiFabio, Esquire. On February 9, 1995, the trial court filed a Rule 1925(a) opinion in response to Appellant’s statement of matters complained of on appeal. On May 22, 1995, the parties filed a joint motion for remand for an evidentiary hearing on allegations of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. This Court granted that motion, and a five-day evidentiary hearing was held in the trial court. On January 26,1996, the trial court issued its findings of fact. On September 17, 1997, this Court affirmed the judgment of sentence. Commonwealth v. Hall, 549 Pa. 269, 701 A.2d 190 *533(1997). On April 20, 1998, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari. Hall v. Pennsylvania, 523 U.S. 1082, 118 S.Ct. 1534, 140 L.Ed.2d 684 (1998).

On May 26, 1998, Appellant filed a timely pro se PCRA petition.3 At that same time, Appellant through counsel, Robert Dunham, Esquire, requested that the court appoint the Center for Legal Education, Advocacy & Defense Assistance (CLEADA) to represent Appellant and that the court issue a stay of the execution previously issued by Governor Thomas Ridge. While the Commonwealth did not oppose the stay of execution, the Commonwealth did oppose the request for specific counsel. The trial court granted the motion for stay and appointed John DiSantis, Esquire, from the Chester County Conflict Counsel list to represent Appellant. On November 12, 1998, Mr. DiSantis filed an amended PCRA petition on behalf of Appellant. Several continuances were requested by Appellant, and finally, on July 13, 2000, an evidentiary hearing was held. On September 15, 2000, Thomas J. Wagner, Esquire, from the Chester County Conflict Counsel list was appointed to represent Appellant due to Mr. DiSantis’ withdrawal from the list. On October 19, 2000, the PCRA court denied relief. Significantly, the PCRA court determined that numerous claims raised in the PCRA petition were previously litigated or waived because they were not supported by any testimony or evidence at the PCRA hearing. The PCRA court did, however, address four claims of trial counsel’s alleged ineffectiveness during the penalty phase and two constitutional claims asserted in the petition. On November 16, 2000, Mr. Wagner filed a notice of appeal on behalf of Appellant.

In May of 2000, Christi A. Charpentier, Esquire, entered her appearance on behalf of Appellant. Ms. Charpentier subsequently filed a brief in this Court.

*534In order to be eligible for PCRA relief, a petitioner must plead and prove by a preponderance of the evidence that his conviction or sentence arose from one or more of the errors listed at 42 Pa.C.S. § 9543(a)(2) and that the issues have not been finally litigated or waived. Commonwealth v. Morales, 549 Pa. 400, 701 A.2d 516 (1997). A claim is deemed previously litigated under the PCRA if the highest appellate court in which the petitioner could have had review as a matter of right has ruled on the merits of the issue. 42 Pa.C.S. § 9544(a)(2). An allegation is deemed waived “if the petitioner could have raised it but failed to do so before trial, at trial, during unitary review, on appeal or in a prior state postconviction proceeding.” 42 Pa.C.S. § 9544(b). We further note that, pursuant to Commonwealth v. Albrecht, 554 Pa. 31, 720 A.2d 693 (1998), the relaxed waiver rule is no longer applicable to PCRA appeals, and therefore, any claims that have been waived by Appellant are beyond the power of this Court to review under the terms of the PCRA.

In his first issue, Appellant acknowledges this rule of waiver, asserting that to overcome waiver, he must demonstrate PCRA counsel’s ineffectiveness in failing to present any of the claims being raised for the first time in this appeal. He cites this Court’s decision in Commonwealth v. Albrecht, 554 Pa. 31, 720 A.2d 693 (1998) in support of his claim that he is entitled to raise PCRA counsel’s alleged ineffectiveness to this Court on appeal from the denial of PCRA relief. He then argues, in very general terms, that PCRA counsel was ineffective in failing to conduct a complete and thorough investigation and in failing to present evidence supporting the claims counsel did raise at the evidentiary hearing.

Generally, new claims are not permitted to be raised on appeal. See Commonwealth v. Bond, 572 Pa. 588, 819 A.2d 33 (2002) (finding that claims of trial court error which could have been raised on direct appeal by new counsel or raised in the PCRA court, but were not, are waived). See also, Pa.R.A.P. 302(a). However, this Court has consistently held that a defendant in a capital case may challenge the stewardship of *535PCRA counsel on appeal to this Court because it is his only opportunity to do so. Commonwealth v. Pursell, 555 Pa. 233, 724 A.2d 293 (1999); Commonwealth v. Albrecht, 554 Pa. 31, 720 A.2d 693 (1998). Accord Commonwealth v. Jones, 572 Pa. 343, 815 A.2d 598, 609-10 (2002) (Opinion Announcing the Judgment of the Court, Castille, J.) (recognizing the tension between the one-year filing requirements of the PCRA and the judicial rule embraced in Commonwealth v. Hubbard, 472 Pa. 259, 372 A.2d 687 (1977), “we will not hold that the new claims of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness are unreviewable on this appeal and must be pursued in a second PCRA filing in the court below” because the Commonwealth has not argued that the claims should be time-barred and the issue has not yet been addressed by this Court.).4 Indeed, in Albrecht, we explicitly held that the right to appointed PCRA counsel in a first PCRA petition provided for in Pa.R.Crim.P. 904 requires an enforceable right to effective post-conviction counsel and that, therefore, claims challenging PCRA counsel’s stewardship, raised for the first time in this Court, must be permitted. Albrecht, 720 A.2d at 700-01. We explained in Bond that a claim that subsequent counsel was ineffective in failing to raise the claims of trial court error does not undo the waiver of that underlying claim; rather, the claim of ineffectiveness itself raises a separate substantive issue. Bond, 819 A.2d at 40. We went on to hold, however, that boilerplate assertions of PCRA counsel’s ineffectiveness for failing to raise the claims below fail as being undeveloped. Id. at 41.

Appellant acknowledges that because he is now represented by counsel other than original PCRA counsel, those issues being raised for the first time to this Court are reviewable only to the extent that they sound in PCRA counsel’s ineffectiveness. However, aside from his initial boilerplate issue, Appellant does not argue any of his claims under the rubric of PCRA counsel’s failings; opting instead to present his numer*536ous issues and sub-issues as if he were on direct appeal. All of the issues raised in his brief are presented and developed either as claims of trial counsel ineffectiveness, trial court error, or prosecutorial misconduct. Prior PCRA counsel’s stewardship is mentioned occasionally, albeit only as a bald assertion that such counsel was ineffective in failing to raise a particular issue. More often, Appellant simply concludes each argument with a statement to the effect that all prior counsel were ineffective in failing to raise the waived claim presented in that precise argument.

We acknowledge that this Court has denied relief based upon an appellant’s failure to develop his/her claims of PCRA counsel’s ineffectiveness. See Commonwealth v. Bond, supra. Nevertheless, we decline to do so in this case. Subsequent to our decision in Bond, this Court has acknowledged that the manner in which to properly layer a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel has not been clear. Commonwealth v. McGill, 574 Pa. 574, 832 A.2d 1014, 1022 (2003). We have since clarified how a defendant must present his or her claim of layered ineffectiveness. Id. Further, as in Jones, supra, the Commonwealth here has not forwarded an argument that Appellant’s claims of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness are time-barred, nor has it argued that the claims should fail as undeveloped. Moreover, as we demonstrate below, it is apparent that all of Appellant’s underlying claims are either waived or without merit; thus, any claim of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness would ultimately fail. Thus, we proceed to examine those issues of ineffectiveness that are properly framed to determine whether there is any arguable merit to the claims of trial counsel ineffectiveness.5

*537We turn now to Appellant’s claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. As we explained in McGill and expounded upon in Commonwealth v. Rush, 576 Pa. 3, 838 A.2d 651 (2003), review of the issue of ineffectiveness of trial counsel is merely a component of the claim at issue—that challenging the effectiveness of subsequent counsel. Therefore, to demonstrate that a “layered” claim of appellate counsel’s ineffectiveness has arguable merit, the petitioner must develop all three prongs of the Pierce test as to the ineffectiveness of trial counsel. McGill, 832 A.2d at 1022; Rush, 838 A.2d at 656.6 In other words, if a petitioner fails to develop any of the three Pierce prongs regarding the underlying issue of trial counsel ineffectiveness, he or she will have failed to establish the arguable merit prong of the claim of subsequent counsels’ ineffectiveness. McGill, 832 A.2d at 1023; Rush, 838 A.2d at 656.

*538Pursuant to McGill and Rush, the first claim of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness involves the issue of whether trial counsel was ineffective for failing to present evidence of co-defendant, Tyrone Green’s, pre-trial statement wherein he allegedly verified Appellant’s trial defense that the killing was accidental.

Co-defendant Green gave police a statement shortly after the murder detailing his involvement in the robbery and murder. Essentially, he claimed that he ran into Appellant the morning of the murder, and the two discussed committing a robbery in Coatesville. They then picked up co-defendant Troy Davis, and the three proceeded to Coatesville. Along the way, the three formed a plan to rob the Laundromat. According to his statement, Green was supposed to stand at the door of the Laundromat and keep anyone from leaving the scene while Appellant pulled his gun on the owner and demanded the money. Green claimed that he witnessed Appellant and the victim struggle over Appellant’s gun and became frightened and ran from the cleaners. He claimed that he heard two shots coming from inside the cleaners after he left. N.T. 1/5/94, pp. 39-43.

Appellant argues that this statement constitutes critical exculpatory evidence insofar as it confirms that there was a struggle over the gun and thus, would have supported Appellant’s defense that the killing was accidental. Appellant also claims that the failure to present this statement to the jury directly affected the weight the jury accorded the sole mitigating factor it found during the penalty phase.

Appellant maintains that this statement would have been admissible as a declaration against penal interest, while the Commonwealth refutes this contention, arguing instead that the entirety of this statement would not have been admissible under this exception. We need not address the issue of whether such statement would have been admissible, however, since even assuming it was admissible, Appellant has failed to demonstrate the requisite prejudice necessary to sustain this claim of ineffectiveness. Commonwealth v. Travaglia, 541 Pa. 108, 661 A.2d 352 (1995)(finding that where it is clear that a *539petitioner has failed to meet the prejudice prong, the claim may be dismissed on that basis alone without determination of whether the first two prongs of the ineffectiveness standard have been met). First, with respect to the guilt phase, the statement is not necessarily exculpatory insofar as Green states he was no longer present in the Laundromat when the shots were fired. Similarly, Appellant’s claim that the presentation of this statement would have affected the jury’s consideration of mitigating factors is also without merit. The jury found as a mitigating factor the following: “events leading up to the fatal shot including the possibility of a struggle.” Since, as noted above, Green’s statement indicates he was not even present when the fatal shots were fired, we cannot glean how his statement would have altered the jury’s consideration given that it already found this particular mitigating factor. Accordingly, Appellant has failed to demonstrate how he was prejudiced by this omission, and his claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness fails, thereby rendering the claim of subsequent counsel’s ineffectiveness untenable.

Appellant next contends that trial counsel should have objected to him being forced to wear shackles and handcuffs, which were visible to the jury during the trial. In support of this claim, Appellant recites a discussion held between counsel, the court, and Appellant immediately prior to the jury’s return to the courtroom for the sentencing phase of trial, during which counsel for Appellant asks the court if the shackles and handcuffs employed during transportation of Appellant could be removed. The court granted the request. It noted that, although Appellant had given the sheriffs personnel some problems that morning at the prison, he had thus far in the trial not presented any risk.

The Commonwealth submits that Appellant was not shackled during trial and that there is no record support for this claim. A review of the record indicates that the Commonwealth is correct. There is no indication in either the recitation of the record submitted by Appellant nor the actual record itself to support Appellant’s contention that he was forced to proceed during either phase of trial in shackles or *540handcuffs. See, N.T. 10/29/94, 866-68. Accordingly, Appellant has failed to satisfy the arguable merit prong of the Pierce test as to trial counsel’s ineffectiveness and, therefore, the claim of subsequent counsel’s ineffectiveness fails. Commonwealth v. D’Amato, 514 Pa. 471, 526 A.2d 300 (1987).

Next, Appellant contends that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to improper victim impact testimony. In support of this claim, Appellant challenges comments made by four witnesses during the guilt phase of trial which essentially refer to the victim as a “nice person” or a “good man.” He also challenges comments made by Kimberly Murray, who was in the Laundromat with her two young children at the time of the murder, which indicate that her one child experienced nightmares and behaved differently following the murder. Appellant claims that the prosecution highlighted this victim impact testimony in both its opening and closing statement by also referring to the victim as a “nice man” and a “gentleman.” Finally, Appellant claims that trial counsel compounded this error by himself arguing additional “victim impact evidence” to the jury.

Appellant is correct that the capital sentencing scheme in effect at the time of his trial precluded the admission of “victim impact testimony.” Commonwealth v. Fisher, 545 Pa. 233, 681 A.2d 130, 145 (1996). The comments on which Appellant bases his claim do not, however, constitute “victim impact testimony.” Generally, only those statements which describe qualities of the victim and are designed to show the victim’s uniqueness as an individual fall within the rubric of “victim impact evidence.” See Commonwealth v. McNeil, 545 Pa. 42, 679 A.2d 1253, 1259 n. 11 (1996). A review of the record reveals, however, that the challenged comments were, for the most part, unsolicited and, in each instance, were not the focus of the prosecutor’s examination of the witness. Moreover, even assuming arguendo that any of these comments constituted impermissible “victim impact testimony,” those references were so isolated that none of them could be found to have affected the outcome of the proceedings.*5417 Accordingly, Appellant’s claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness fails. The claim of subsequent counsel’s ineffectiveness, therefore, also fails.

Next, Appellant claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move to have portions of Appellant’s statement redacted. Specifically, Appellant claims that his statement contains numerous references to the victim being a “white guy” and that since only the degree of guilt was at issue, the race of the victim was not relevant and reference thereto was inflammatory and prejudicial. Appellant submits that trial counsel recognized the potential for racial bias in this case in a pre-trial statement addressed to the court wherein he voiced his concern that any reference to the race of the co-defendants should be redacted. In support of this claim, Appellant cites the United States Supreme Court decision of Turner v. Murray, 476 U.S. 28, 106 S.Ct. 1683, 90 L.Ed.2d 27 (1986).

In Turner, a majority of the United States Supreme Court held that where the defendant has been charged with a capital offense and the defendant and the victim are of different races, such a situation amounts to special circumstances allowing the defendant to question the jury regarding possible racial bias. In the instant matter, prospective jurors were, indeed, voir dired on the subject of racial bias. See, e.g. N.T. 10/18/94, pp. 505, 533, 548. Accordingly, even assuming that Appellant’s claim has merit, Appellant has failed to establish the requisite prejudice and thus, his claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness fails. Appellant’s claim of subsequent counsel’s ineffectiveness also necessarily fails.

Appellant next asserts that the Commonwealth improperly presented expert testimony from Howard Montgomery, a State Police firearms examiner, that, in his opinion, there was a strong likelihood during the crime that a bullet could have ricocheted and struck someone other than the *542victim.8 Appellant claims that this testimony was purely speculative and, thus, that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to object to this testimony and/or to present expert testimony to refute the Commonwealth’s expert. He adds that while PCRA counsel did raise this claim below and did question trial counsel regarding his failure to obtain an expert, PCRA counsel was, himself, ineffective in not then presenting an expert to refute this theory. For the following reasons, Appellant’s claims fail.

First, while Appellant claims that his trial counsel should have called an expert to refute Mr. Montgomery’s testimony, he fails to allege that such a witness was available. Indeed, the record reveals that Appellant was granted a continuance during the PCRA proceedings to obtain an expert, but that he was unsuccessful in obtaining any such expert. Accordingly, Appellant cannot establish that his claim bears merit. Commonwealth v. Morales, 549 Pa. 400, 701 A.2d 516 (1997) (holding that in order to establish counsel ineffectiveness for failing to call a particular witness, the petitioner must establish (1) that the witness existed; (2) that the witness was available; (3) that counsel knew or should have known about the witness; (4) that the witness was prepared to cooperate and testify at trial; and (5) that the absence of the testimony prejudiced him).

Furthermore, trial counsel testified at the PCRA hearing that Mr. Montgomery’s testimony was a matter of common sense and logic and that had he chosen to refute that testimo*543ny, he believed the jury would then discredit all of the defense evidence. Given the record evidence, counsel’s strategy was reasonable. See, Commonwealth v. Pierce, 515 Pa. 153, 527 A.2d 973 (1987) (stating that in reviewing counsel’s stewardship, we do not employ a hindsight evaluation of the record to determine whether other alternatives were more reasonable; rather, counsel will be deemed effective so long as the course chosen by counsel had some reasonable basis designed to effectuate his client’s interests). Accordingly, Appellant has failed to establish this claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness. Therefore, his further claim that PCRA counsel was ineffective in failing to call a ballistics expert at the PCRA stage also fails.

Appellant next asserts that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to investigate and present substantial mitigating evidence. Appellant claims that a thorough investigation into his childhood would have revealed that he was emotionally and physically abused during his childhood, that he lived in a substandard housing environment, and that he suffered seizures as a young child and a head injury at the age of twelve. Appellant maintains that there exists both school and medical records that document this background. He claims that trial counsel failed to perform even rudimentary checks into his background to discover these records and/or information; records and information which he claims a mental health expert would have used to explain the lasting effects such abuse would have on an individual.9 The Commonwealth argues that *544this claim, or at least a portion of this claim, was previously litigated on direct appeal when Appellant challenged trial counsel’s failure to present evidence concerning Appellant’s employment and educational history and his failure to call five particular witnesses to testify to Appellant’s good character. As the instant claim is yet another challenge to trial counsel’s alleged failings in presenting mitigating evidence, it arguably has been previously litigated. However, to the extent that it has not been previously litigated, the claim fails the arguable merit prong of Pierce for several reasons.

First, Appellant’s claims amount to little more than bald assertions. While he maintains that there are records and/or “affidavits” to support these assertions, the documents submitted do not support his contention.10 For example, he appends an “affidavit” from his initial trial counsel who states that Dr. Sadoff prepared a written report, the basis of which supported a need for psychological testing. However, Appellant does not set forth the contents of that report nor does he offer a copy thereof. Additionally, the medical records which Appellant appends are, for the most part, illegible or contain no reference to any underlying cognitive or mental deficiency. And while he appends “affidavits” from family members and/or *545friends which indicate that Appellant’s parents were abusive towards each other as well as towards Appellant and his siblings, the information conveyed, while perhaps disheartening in no way demonstrates that Appellant suffered any mental deficiencies as a result of this alleged abuse.11

Moreover, even assuming that such reports exist and/or that Appellant did, indeed, suffer a traumatic childhood, Appellant has not demonstrated that his prior counsels’ failure to discover such information was a result of an unreasonable investigation by counsel into Appellant’s background. See Commonwealth v. Bracey, 568 Pa. 264, 795 A.2d 935, 944 (2001) (finding that counsel will not be deemed ineffective for failing to present evidence of alleged childhood abuse where neither the defendant nor his family informed counsel of any such abuse); see also Commonwealth v. Malloy, 579 Pa. 425, 856 A.2d 767 (2004) (Opinion by Castille, J.) (counsel has a duty to perform a reasonable investigation into a defendant’s background in an effort to discover potential mitigating evidence, but the reasonableness of any such investigation may be dependent upon the information supplied to counsel).12 As the following dis*546cussion evidences, Appellant’s trial counsel did speak with *547Appellant, his family and certain friends for the express purpose of ascertaining potential mitigating evidence, yet he was never informed of any alleged mental condition or of any abuse allegedly suffered by Appellant as a child.

Furthermore, trial counsel testified at length during the remand hearing regarding his efforts at ascertaining potential mitigating evidence and also testified at the PCRA hearing regarding his efforts.13 Specifically, he testified that he discussed the penalty phase of the trial with Appellant, explained that the Commonwealth would be presenting aggravating factors, and informed Appellant that he could present mitigating factors. Additionally, counsel testified that Appellant remained steadfast in his refusal to testify, even after he was advised by counsel that it would be in his best interest to testify at the penalty phase. Indeed, Appellant informed counsel that he did not want his mother or any of the other witnesses who counsel had contacted to testify as to his good character. Notwithstanding Appellant’s objections, trial counsel chose to call Appellant’s mother and the mother of one of his children, both of whom essentially testified that Appellant had a “good heart” and was a caring person. Trial counsel testified that he chose not to call other witnesses that he had spoken with because of Appellant’s convictions that no witnesses be called to testify, and because he believed that Appellant’s mother would be most persuasive in the eyes of the jury. Significantly, Appellant takes no issue with the fact that during the penalty hearing, at the request of defense counsel, the trial court colloquied Appellant respecting his desire not to testify. Under these circumstances, we conclude that Appellant has failed to demonstrate that his counsel was ineffective when he essentially followed Appellant’s wishes in not presenting additional mitigation evidence. Having failed to satisfy the Pierce test as to trial counsel’s performance, *548Appellant’s claim that PCRA counsel was ineffective is similarly without merit.

Accordingly, we affirm the order of the PCRA court.14

concurring.

I join the Majority Opinion, but write separately to further address two points.

First, as the Majority notes, appellant is represented by new counsel upon this Post Conviction Relief Act (“PCRA”)1 appeal, and counsel raises new claims which are cognizable under the Act (if at all) only to the extent that they sound in the ineffective assistance of previous PCRA counsel.2 In support of its determination to reach the merits of these new claims, the Majority cites, among other authorities, this author’s Opinion Announcing the Judgment of the Court in Commonwealth v. Jones, 572 Pa. 343, 815 A.2d 598, 609-10 (2002) (Castille, J., joined by Eakin, J., with four Justices concurring in the result and one Justice Concurring and Dissenting). In Jones, I noted that entertaining entirely new claims on PCRA appeal arguably circumvents both the PCRA’s serial petition restriction and its one-year time-bar restriction. See 42 Pa.C.S. § 9545(b). After noting this open question, I proceeded to the merits for the following reasons:

The claims of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness here ... were, with but two exceptions,[ ] not raised in the original or amended PCRA petition that is the subject of this appeal. Nor are the new claims elaborations, extensions, or deriva*549tions of those raised in the petitions below. Instead, appellant’s new and distinct claims were first raised . .. well over a year after appellant’s conviction became final in 1996. As a PCRA matter, then, these issues, not having been raised in the initial and amended petitions below, should properly be the subject of a second PCRA petition, which would be subject to the time limitation and serial petition restrictions contained in § 9545(b) of the PCRA. By reaching the merits of brand new claims never presented in the PCRA petition that was actually filed and is at issue in this appeal, this Court arguably employs the Hubbard doctrine[3] in an unintended and improper fashion—i.e., to provide an end-around the General Assembly’s unequivocal and jurisdictional restrictions upon serial post-conviction petitions. See United States v. Duffus, 174 F.3d 333, 336-38 (3d Cir. 1999) (district court did not err in denying leave to amend federal habeas petition to add new claim or theory after one-year federal statute of limitations governing habeas petitions had expired; permitting such amendment would be contrary to very policy of limitations period). See also [Commonwealth v.] Pursell II, 561 Pa. 214, 749 A.2d [911, 915-16 (2000)] (“[W]hile layered claims of counsel’s ineffectiveness may avoid the waiver restrictions in the PCRA, we have repeatedly held that claims of ineffective assistance of counsel do not automatically qualify pursuant to the exceptions to the one-year time limitation provided in 42 Pa.C.S. § 9545(b)(l)(i)-(iii).”) (collecting cases).

In the past, of course, this Court has had to consider the continuing viability of judicial rules that find themselves in separation of powers tension with the governing terms of the PCRA. [Commonwealth v.] Albrecht, 554 Pa. 31, 720 A.2d [693, 700 (1998)] (holding that relaxed waiver is no longer viable on PCRA appeals because, inter alia, “application of the doctrine of relaxed waiver in a PCRA proceeding runs afoul of the very terms of the [PCRA], which excludes waived claims from the class of cognizable PCRA claims”). *550Having noted the tension, however, we will not hold that the new claims of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness are unreviewable on this appeal and must be pursued in a second PCRA filing in the court below. The Commonwealth has not forwarded an argument that the claims should be deemed time-barred and, although the issue may prove to have jurisdictional consequences, that point is not yet settled and there may be more to be said on the question, on both sides. Because, as we demonstrate below, it is apparent that appellant’s new claims of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness must fail on the merits, and that alone is enough to decide this appeal, we note this pending issue without deciding it.

Jones, 815 A.2d at 610 (footnote omitted).

The case sub judice was briefed before Jones was decided and, as the Majority notes, it is in the same litigation posture as Jones: ie., there is no argument forwarded by the Commonwealth that entertaining the new claims wrongly subverts the PCRA’s time and serial petition restrictions. In addition, the Majority ultimately denies relief on the claims presented. The question which was noted and deferred in Jones, thus, remains open and deferred, and today’s Majority Opinion should not be read as having decided that new claims of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness, raised for the first time on PCRA appeal, are not subject to the restrictions of the PCRA.

Second, in discussing appellant’s layered claim of ineffective assistance of counsel respecting penalty phase mitigation evidence, the Majority Opinion accurately notes that what appellant calls “affidavits” are, in point of fact, merely “declarations” by various persons, none of which have been sworn to by the declarant before an officer authorized to administer oaths. As I noted in my Concurring Opinion in Commonwealth v. Brown, 582 Pa. 461, 872 A.2d 1139 (2005), J-70-2002, I believe that there is a significant distinction between a sworn affidavit, which is contemplated under this Court’s Criminal Rules governing PCRA practice, and a.mere unsworn declaration of a witness. Even assuming the truth of such questionable pleadings for purposes of decision, the claim of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness fails as a matter of law.