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(CEKQW]cioAutoList3A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.(#$  0  A.(|3`$ !.8dd8     ( CEKQW]cioAutoList9A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.(CEKQW]cioAutoList4A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A."A.0CEKSY_ekqAutoList5A.(1)A.A.A.A.A.A.$A.(O;$0  2#  a  .3  0` (#(#(CEMU]emu}AutoList6(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)'(1)(CEKQW]cioAutoList7A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.)A.(CEMU]emu}AutoList8(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)+(1)!A.- -(*EGMSY_ekqAutoList10A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A./A.(:EGMSY_ekqAutoList11A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.1A.(JEGMSY_ekqAutoList12A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.3A.(ZEGMSY_ekqAutoList13A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.6A.(|G2-$ !.8dd8         0  Xi\X d(|3`$ !.8dd8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3`$ !.8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _8i\XXdd8@HHINTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @$ATNASHVILLE    August2000Session  Xi\X #XXi\#STATEOFTENNESSEEv.DAMONTHEODOREMARSH   Xi\X@@  AppealfromtheCriminalCourtforBedfordCounty  , e@@@ @ No.14091CharlesLee,Judge   #XXi\S#@@*AV) ` dEa` A   Xi\X@@ No.M199901879CCAR3CD#XXi\#ԀFiled___September_Ԁ29,2000 1  AV) ` dEa` A M  ##   Xi\XXi\XXXi\Defendant,DamonTheodoreMarsh,appealshisconvictionforseconddegreemurder,forwhich j hereceivedasentenceof23yearsand6months.Onappeal,thedefendantraisestheissueof P sufficiencyoftheevidencetosupporthisconviction.Weconcludethattheissueraisedbythe 6 defendantinthisappealiswithoutmerit.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.#Xi\XXXi\4##XXi\#Xi\XXi\XXXi\     #Xi\XXXi\h#Xi\XXXi\Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCriminalCourtAffirmed     JoeG.Riley#Xi\I#Xi\X.,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJerryL.Smith,J.,andL.Terry d _Lafferty_,SeniorJ.,joined. J AndrewJackson_Dearing_,III,AssistantDistrictPublicDefender,Fayetteville,Tennessee(onappeal), f andWilliamC.Roberts,Jr.,_Shelbyville_,Tennessee(attrial),fortheappellant,DamonTheodore L Marsh. 2 PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter;ClintonJ.Morgan,AssistantAttorneyGeneral;  WilliamMichael_McCown_,DistrictAttorneyGeneral;andRobertG._Crigler_,AssistantDistrict   AttorneyGeneral,fortheappellee,StateofTennessee. z!     F #Xi\XXXi\#Xi\XXXi\OPINION #XXi\#Xi\X ,$|#     Defendant,DamonTheodoreMarsh,wasconvictedbyaBedfordCountyjuryofsecond %H!% degreemurderandreceivedasentenceof23yearsand6months.Thedefendantchallengesthe &."& sufficiencyoftheevidence.Findingtheevidencesufficienttosupporttheguiltyverdict,weaffirm '#' thejudgmentofthetrialcourt.#XXi\ #Xi\X (#(    FACTS  (-x(- _ԇ    ThestatesproofshowedthatontheafternoonofOctober3,1996,thevictim,Rochelle  ReginaMarable,andthedefendantwereatthevictimsapartment.Around4:00p.m.thatafternoon,  thevictimsmotherwenttothevictimsapartmenttopickupthevictimsthreeyearoldson.The | victimwasstillaliveatthattime. b   Thefollowingmorningthevictimsmotherreturnedtothevictimsapartmentwiththe . ~ victimsson,butnooneansweredthedoor.Laterthevictimsbrother,aShelbyvillepoliceofficer,  d wenttocheckonthevictim.Whenthevictimsbrotherarrivedattheapartment,hefoundthefront  J doorlocked,thebackdoorunlocked,andnosignsofforcedentry.Afterenteringthevictims  0 apartment,hefoundthedeceasedvictimlyingonthecouchcoveredinblood.Thevictimhadbeen    beatenandstabbednumeroustimes.      Officerssubsequentlydiscoveredthatatrashcanjustoutsidethevictimsapartmenthadblood x  onitslid.Whentheofficerswentthroughthecontentsofthetrashcan,theyfoundaknifeandabeer ^  bottle.Boththeknifeandthebeerbottlehadthevictimsbloodonthem.#XXi\#Xi\X D    OnOctober5,1996,thedefendantwasquestionedaboutthevictimsmurder.Thedefendant ` saidthathehadbeenatthevictimsapartmentontheafternoonofOctober3rd,andtheyhadbeen F smokingcrackcocainethatafternoon.Thedefendantstated,however,thatheleftthevictims , apartmentaround5p.m.priortoherdeath.    Thedefendantvoluntarilyreturnedlessthananhourlaterandgaveasecondstatementtothe  officers.Duringthesecondstatementthedefendantstatedthatheleftthevictimsapartmenttobuy t morecrackcocaineandreturnedaboutanhourlater,findingthevictim.Thedefendantstatedhewas Z notsurethevictimwasdeadandliftedher.Hesaidhethenpanickedandfledbecausehewasafraid @ thepolicewouldthinkhemurderedthevictim,andbecausehehadcrackcocaineinhispossession. &v Hefurtherstatedthatwhenhelefttheapartment,hethrewawayabeerbottleinthetrashcanoutside  \ theapartment. B Ѐ (   Testimonyestablishedthatontheeveningthevictimwasmurdered,thedefendantwas  wearingapairofbrownworkbootsandapairofbluejeanswithbloodonthem.Further,the  defendantwasloanedajacketbyafriendonthemorningthevictimwasmurdered.Ajacketsimilar   totheoneloanedtothedefendantwaslaterfoundinadumpsternearthevictimsapartmentwith p!  humanbloodonit. V"!   Astateexpertonbloodpatterninterpretationexaminedthedefendantsbluejeansandboots. "$r# Therewere385bloodspattersontheseitemsofamediumvelocityimpactthatwereconsistentwith %X $ abeatingorstabbing.Theexperttestifiedthatthebluejeansandbootshadtobeatthesceneofthe %>!% beatingorstabbing,andthatthebloodstainswereinconsistentwithstainsthatwouldresultfrom &$"& merelypickingupabloodybody. ' #'   Thedefendantattemptedtoestablishthroughotherwitnessesthathewasnottheperpetrator, )$) andthattherewasanothersuspectwhocouldhavecommittedtheoffense.Hefurtherattemptedto l*%* establishthatthebloodfoundonhisbluejeansandbootscouldhavegottentherewhenheliftedthe R+&+ victimsbody. 8,',   ̀  ThedefendantwastriedbyaBedfordCountyjuryandconvictedofseconddegreemurder.  #XXi\2#  Xi\X SUFFICIENCYOFEVIDENCE H     Thedefendantcontendsthatthecircumstantialevidencepresentedattrialwasnotsufficient  d tosupporthisconvictionforseconddegreemurder.Wedisagree.  J   (83"3"  3"2  A  .3  0    StandardofReview3""݌  s#s# Ќ    Althoughtheevidenceofdefendantsguiltiscircumstantialinnature,circumstantialevidence   alonemaybesufficienttosupportaconviction.Statev.Tharpe,726S.W.2d896,899900(Tenn. x  1987);Statev.Buttrey,756S.W.2d718,721(Tenn.Crim.App.1988).However,forthistooccur, ^  thecircumstantialevidencemustbeconsistentwithguiltoftheaccused,inconsistentwithinnocence, D  andmustexcludeeveryotherreasonabletheoryorhypothesisexceptthatofguilt.Tharpe,726 *z  S.W.2dat900. `   Greatweightisgiventothejuryverdictinacriminaltrial;itaccreditsthestateswitnesses , andresolvesallconflictsinfavorofthestate.Statev.Bigbee,885S.W.2d797,803(Tenn.1994);  Statev.Harris,839S.W.2d54,75(Tenn.1992).Therefore,whilefollowingtheaboveguidelines,  thisCourtmustrememberthatthejurydecidestheweighttobegiventocircumstantialevidence.   Theinferencestobedrawnfromsuchevidence,andtheextenttowhichthecircumstancesare t consistentwithguiltandinconsistentwithinnocencearequestions...forthejury.Marablev.State, Z 313S.W.2d451,457(Tenn.1958)(citationomitted);seealsoStatev.Gregory,862S.W.2d574,577 @ (Tenn.Crim.App.1993). &v "3"  3)2  B  .3  0    Analysis3))݌Bs#s# Ќ    Seconddegreemurderisdefinedas aknowingkillingofanother.Tenn.CodeAnn.39  13210(a)(1).Viewingtheevidenceinalightmostfavorabletothestate,theevidenceissufficient  toshowaknowingkillingbythedefendant.     Thedefendantmadeinconsistentstatementstothepolice.Inthefirststatementthedefendant V"! didnotmentionreturningtothevictimsapartmentafterheleftat5:00p.m.Instead,thedefendant <#" claimedhewentelsewhere.Inthesecondstatementthedefendantadmittedhereturnedandfound "$r# thedeceasedvictim. %X $   Thedefendantinhissecondstatementsaidhethrewawayabeerbottleinthetrashcanashe &$"& lefttheapartment.Officersfoundabeerbottleandaknifeinthetrashcan.Bothhadthevictims ' #' bloodonthem. (#(   Ontheeveningthevictimwasmurdered,thedefendantwasseenwearingbluejeansandwork l*%* boots,bothofwhichhadbloodonthem.Thebloodfoundonthebluejeansandrightbootwasthe R+&+ victimsblood.Althoughthedefendantstheorywasthatthisbloodgotonhimwhenheliftedthe 8,', victimtoseeifshewasalive,testimonybyanexpertwitnessforthestateestablishedthatthemedium  velocityimpactbloodspatterscouldnothavegottenonthedefendantspantsandbootsashe  claimed.Thejuryobviouslychosetobelievethestatesexpertwitnessandtodisbelievethe | defendantstheory.Thiswasthejurysprerogative,andwearenotatlibertytoconcludeotherwise. b Ѐ H    CONCLUSION   d     Weconcludethatwhiletheevidencewascircumstantialinthiscase,itwasclearlysufficient  0 tosupportthedefendantsconvictionforseconddegreemurder.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtis    affirmed.        M3   `     h     ________________________ ^     `     h     JOEG.RILEY,JUDGE D  #Xi\XXXi\ #{  ! ! )(88