State v. Howard

¶1OPINION

¶2The appellants were convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to serve not less than four (4) years nor more than ten (10) years. They were convicted, also, of aggravated rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. • Both appellants attack the sufficiency of the evidence and say the verdicts were the result of passion on the part of the jury.

¶3McBee in a separate issue says his case should have been severed from Howard’s case for trial because Howard’s confession implicated him and the redaction thereof did not sufficiently protect his right of confrontation.

¶4Howard, separately, raises the issue of whether a statement made by him was taken in violation of his constitutional right.

¶5The judgments as to McBee are affirmed.

¶6The judgments as to Howard are reversed and the cases are remanded for new trials.

¶7The attack upon the sufficiency of the evidence is based upon the alleged victim’s inability to identify either appellant despite the fact she was in the presence of her assailants over three hours and knew the appellants. Also, they say there was an absence of medical testimony as to sexual penetration.

¶8The female victim, age 11, testified on the night in question she was babysitting for her two younger brothers in their mobile trailer home located in Henry County near Paris. At approximately 11:00 p. m., a truck pulled in front of the trailer and a man knocked on her front door. She answered the door, a man grabbed her by the arm, covered her eyes and dragged her to the truck where another man drove them away. The young girl was raped by both occupants. Later the truck ran out of gas and the girl was taken across a field and hidden in a bam. One of the males stayed with her while the other successfully sought gas. Upon his return, they got back in the truck where one of them raped her again. Subsequently she was released in the vicinity of her trailer.

¶9A husband and wife, who were neighbors of the young victim, testified they heard a scream around midnight coming from the young girl’s trailer, at which time the husband observed a red and white Ford truck departing from the victim’s trailer. The neighbors promptly checked the trailer, found the young girl missing and reported this to the police.

¶10A deputy sheriff of Henry County who was aware the victim was missing, checked an abandoned red and white Ford truck off Highway 641. He noticed the truck had an Arkansas license plate and it was in the vicinity of a barn which was in a nearby field. He also observed the same red and white truck around 4:00 a. m. at the residence of the appellant McBee. When the Henry County officers surrounded the home the appellants responded to the sheriff’s command to come out and were arrested.

¶11The sister of McBee testified she owned the red and white truck and it was in her brother’s possession on the night of the crime. The mother of the young victim, a witness for the State, testified she knew both appellants, she had been intimate with McBee and had earlier seen both of them together on the night of the crimes.

¶12The doctor who examined the victim testified he observed some swelling of the right labia and a small amount of blood in her vagina. There was also an apparent bite mark over the left breast. He could not relate from his examination whether there had or had not been sexual penetration.

¶13A serologist from the Tennessee Crime Laboratory testified his examination of the vaginal slides and rectal swabs taken from the victim revealed spermatozoa.

¶14A pair of shoes found in appellant McBee’s residence matched plaster of paris shoe prints found in the barn. A pair of blue jeans also found in the residence revealed head hair which was consistent with *658the hair of the victim and pubic hair which was consistent with appellant McBee’s. A plastic container found in the truck contained a small amount of gasoline. A short piece of hose which, according to the sheriff looked like a “siphon hose”, was found in the barn containing gasoline. A ponytail holder found in the cab of the truck was identified as a type similar to ones the victim used, and a hair found on the ponytail holder was consistent with the victim’s head hair.

¶15Neither appellant testified, but Howard made a statement to the sheriff, which was read to the jury, in which he said he was present when the child was raped but he was not a participant.

¶16The victim’s inability to identify the rapists is a matter of weight for the jury. The fact the doctor could not relate either way as to the penetration is also a matter of weight for the jury. It does not leave the offense incomplete for the victim testified both penetrated her. The evidence of pelvic trauma, the presence of spermatozoa in her vagina and rectum show the child was sexually used.

¶17As to McBee, the evidence of hair samples, the evidence of the shoe print and other circumstantial evidence is sufficient to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Rule 13(e), T.R.A.P.

¶18Appellant McBee urges that the admission of appellant Howard’s redacted statement violated the Bruton rule so as to deprive him of a fair trial. The State concedes the redacted statement which included numerous references such as the “other man” was totally inadequate. White v. State, 497 S.W.2d 751, 755 (Tenn.Cr.App.1973). The trial court should have granted his motion for a severance.

¶19However, the other evidence of guilt as to McBee: (a) plaster casts of shoe prints in the barn matching the shoes found in McBee’s residence, (b) being in possession of the red and white Ford truck, (c) head hairs discovered on the blue jeans from the residence being consistent with that of the victim’s and pubic hair found on the jeans being consistent with appellant McBee’s, (d) being seen earlier with Howard, (e) plastic milk container in the truck containing gasoline, and (f) the truck found abandoned in the vicinity of the barn, render the error harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Alexander v. State, 562 S.W.2d 207, 210 (Tenn.Cr.App.1977); T.R.A.P., Rule 36(b).

¶20Both appellants complain the life sentences imposed by the jury and approved by the trial court were excessive. The punishment is within the statutory limits, it cannot be said the verdict was a result of passion, prejudice and caprice. Howard v. State, 506 S.W.2d 951, 955 (Tenn.Cr.App.1973).

¶21In evaluating Howard’s complaint, we must view the evidence in light of the statement admitted against him.

¶22At approximately 4:00 a. m. on the morning following this crime, Howard was arrested in MeBee’s residence. He was placed in a room at the jail where he was held for some sixteen hours before making a statement. This room was described as being 4' X 5' or 5' X 6' square. The only furnishings in the room was a chair. Howard, who was dressed only in cutoff, blue jean shorts, testified he lay on the floor, against the wall, in an effort to remain warm. At approximately 8:00 p. m. he asked to see the sheriff.

¶23The sheriff says Howard’s purpose in seeing him was to make a statement about the case. The sheriff testified he advised Howard of his rights and then the following occurred, as reflected from the tape of the conversation:1

“SHERIFF: Okay, just tell me about it.

HOWARD: Well, I’m kinda scared to really and I want to talk to my lawyer before I did but ...

SHERIFF: It’s up to you hoss, I don’t have to ask you a question Carl. I’m *659doing this just to see where you want to stand in this game. It’s a serious charge let me tell you right now. It carries ten to life so like I said, I’ve got my evidence and I gave you copies of what I’ve done so far and also read to you what I intend to do in the future. In as far as checking your person and in as far as doing the analysis on the truck, now this truck will be transported to the Tennessee Crime Lab in Nashville. It will be hauled up there and they’re going to go through it piece by piece, fingerprints, anything that is detrimental to this case, they’re going to take it for evidence, so now it’s strictly up to you. You don’t have to give me a statement. I want you to understand that right off, and you can interpret it either way. It can either help you or hinder you. Now if you are not so deep in this thing as I think you are, now would be the time to come out with it.”

¶24The issue becomes whether this conversation shows a voluntary relinquishment of the right to counsel by Howard. We think it does not.

¶25Miranda V. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), says “If the individual states that he wants an attorney, the interrogation must close until an attorney is present.” Subsequent cases have held, however, the State is not foreclosed from interrogation after a demand for an attorney, if the circumstances show the accused voluntarily and knowingly waived the right to counsel. United States v. Pheaster, 544 F.2d 353 (9th Cir. 1976); Pierce v. Cardwell, 572 F.2d 1339 (9th Cir. 1978).

¶26Miranda holds, and we have followed this in Lee v. State, 560 S.W.2d 82 (Tenn.Cr. App.1978), the State carries a heavy burden in showing a relinquishment of a constitutional right where the record is silent as to waiver of such right. In this case, there is no written waiver of right to counsel. Waiver, if at all, must be found in the context of the statement above quoted.

¶27The State relies upon Pheasterand Piercefor justification. We think these cases do not serve the State under the circumstances of this case.

¶28Both Pheasterand Pierceindicated they wished counsel prior to interrogation. Subsequent to this, the authorities showed each of them evidence linking them with the crime. The Courts reasoned the accused in these cases, relying on the hopelessness of their plight, gave up knowingly and voluntarily.

¶29In the case before us, the only evidence, dehors the statement, of Howard’s guilt is the evidence he was with McBee on the evening of the crime.

¶30When the sheriff’s statement to Howard is compared to the record it is obvious he had no evidence beyond this. The entire claim by the sheriff is based not on hard evidence, and indicates an attempt to lead Howard to believe there was strong evidence of his guilt based upon scientific evidence. We think this clearly was done to induce Howard to relinquish his right to counsel.

¶31Where the waiver of counsel is asserted in the basis of presentation of evidence of an accused’s guilt, as in Pheasterand Pierce, the evidence must exist in fact and not in the imagination of the interrogator.2

¶32We hold, therefore, the introduction of the statement of Howard was erroneous and the same should have been suppressed.

¶33The circumstantial evidence of Howard’s guilt would be sufficient absent the confession if the jury heard only this and based their judgment thereon. We are unable to say, however, how the jury would resolve this issue absent the statement and cannot say the erroneous admission of the statement was harmless error beyond a reasonable doubt.