Case Title: State v. Kountz

Citation: 108 Ariz. 459, 501 P.2d 931

Docket Number: 2360

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1972-10-13T00:00:00Z

Document:
108 Ariz. 459 (1972) 501 P.2d 931 The STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Richard Charles KOUNTZ, Appellant. No. 2360. Supreme Court of Arizona, In Banc. October 13, 1972. Gary K. Nelson, Atty. Gen., Phoenix by John S. O'Dowd, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tucson, for appellee. Scanlan & Schiesel by Fred T. Scanlan, Tucson, for appellant. CAMERON, Vice Chief Justice. This is an appeal from a jury verdict and judgment of guilty to the crime of murder in the first degree (by torture), §§ 13-451 and 13-452 A.R.S., and a sentence of life imprisonment thereon. We are called upon to answer the following questions: The facts necessary for a determination of this matter on appeal are as follows. The deceased, Allen Robert Woods, a little over three years and one month of age, died as the result of a brain concussion on 7 May 1970. The defendant, Richard Charles Kountz, and the victim's mother, a divorcee, had been dating since the latter part of January, 1970, and had lived together as husband and wife at the place where the deceased was injured from 28 April 1970 to the date the child died. The mother was 28 years old. At the time the defendant met the mother he was 21 years of age, father of a two year old child, and was in the process of obtaining a divorce. He worked as a bricklayer and lived with his parents. He told the mother he was 26, that he was an engineer, and that he was divorced and had a five year old child. He proposed marriage to the mother, she agreed, and the defendant, with the mother's permission, assumed the role of the child's father for the purpose of teaching the child discipline, particularly the taking of a bath in the evening. Testimony of the mother indicated that the defendant refused to allow the mother to be present when he was in the bathroom giving the deceased a bath and that these sessions lasted from an hour to an hour and a half. The testimony of the neighbors indicated that there was loud crying from the bathroom when the defendant would give the child a bath. One witness, a neighbor, testified that during these times he heard sounds "like a person taking two apples and smashing them together." The testimony also indicates that the nursery school that the deceased attended called the child's condition (multiple facial and body bruises) to the health authorities who in turn contacted the child's pediatrician, after which the child was changed to a different nursery. The defendant, who testified extensively in his own behalf, admitted some of the bruises were caused by him: He testified that another time the child fell while they were taking a shower: And: When shown a picture of the deceased he testified: And: The defendant contended that when he spanked him with a belt he wrapped a towel around him first. After the nursey reported the condition of the child the child was transferred to another nursery school. The mother testified: On the day the child died, the defendant picked the child up from the beauty parlor where the mother was having her hair done and took him home. At about 5:30 the defendant went to the neighbors and stated: "For God's sake, please call the Fire Rescue Squad, I think the baby fell in the bathtub and I think he has drowned." The fire department responded and efforts to revive the child by artificial resuscitation failed. The officers and people testified that the child was not wet and had evidently not been in the tub. The defendant claimed that he had left the child in the tub to take a bath and had gone to put some license plates on the car and when he got back the child was hanging over the tub. The child was pronounced dead at the hospital. Dr. Louis Hirsch, a pathologist who performed the autopsy, testified that the child died as a result of a concussion produced by "multiple blunt traumas applied to the skull" and that the most recent trauma was the cause of death with the earlier injuries as contributing causes. The instructions complained of read as follows: This court has stated: The defendant contends that the evidence introduced at the trial did not show that the defendant was intent on causing cruel pain or suffering to the child, nor did it show any intent on the part of the defendant to exercise "revenge, extortion, persuasion or some other untoward propensity." State v. Brock, supra. We disagree. The testimony is ample from which the jury could find that the defendant was systematically and cruelly torturing the child, as a result of which actions on the part of the defendant the child died. REDIRECT TESTIMONY OF THE MOTHER On direct examination, the mother was not allowed to testify concerning a conversation she had with the child on Thursday morning while giving the child a bath. The conversation was excluded by the court on the objection of the defendant. The defendant on cross-examination went into the subject of the child's feelings for the defendant and whether on the day the child died the child went willingly with the defendant from the beauty shop. On redirect the court permitted the County Attorney to examine the child's mother concerning the particular conversation. The mother testified over objection by the attorney for the defendant: The testimony concerning the child's state of mind was otherwise admissible. State v. Izzo, 94 Ariz. 226, 383 P.2d 116 (1963). We do not feel it was improper redirect. Even were it questionable, we would not disturb the decision to allow testimony to be admitted as the trial court is allowed considerable latitude in the sequence of proof. State v. Vallejos, 89 Ariz. 76, 358 P.2d 178 (1960); State v. Farrell, 1 Ariz. App. 112, 399 P.2d 915 (1965). THE THREE REBUTTAL WITNESSES The first witness, Mrs. Maxine York, was called in rebuttal to contradict the testimony of the defendant concerning the events that occurred when the defendant asked the Yorks to call the Fire Rescue Squad. Mrs. York also gave other testimony which was damaging to the defendant concerning the fact that there was blood in the bathroom area, etc., which the defendant denied. We find no error in allowing Mrs. York to testify as a rebuttal witness. The testimony of the two witnesses, Thomas Wilson and Ralph O'Neil, two City of Tucson Police Officers, who took a statement from the defendant at the hospital, also contradicted testimony that the defendant made on the stand. We have stated: The Court of Appeals has stated: STATE'S INSTRUCTION NO. 13 Defendant objected to the reading of the State's instruction No. 13 in which the jury was instructed as follows: This instruction was specifically approved by our Court of Appeals in State v. Vann, 11 Ariz. App. 180, 463 P.2d 75 (1970) and is not error when, as under the facts of this case, it is supported by the evidence. CALJIC, 2.03, Criminal Third Edition. THE VERDICT WAS CONTRARY TO THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE The defendant contends: We disagree. Admittedly, only the defendant knows what his motives were, *464 but the facts in this case and particularly the bruised and battered condition of the child's body were more than sufficient from which the jury could infer and find that the defendant intended to and did kill the child in a manner contemplated by the statute. We have read the entire transcript and we believe the state of the record is ample from which the jury could find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree by torture. Judgment affirmed. HAYS, C.J., and STRUCKMEYER and HOLOHAN, JJ., concur.