Case Title: James McKinney v. State of Indiana

Citation: 

Docket Number: 49S00-9702-CR-122

State: indiana

Court: Indiana Supreme Court

Date: 1998-10-31T00:00:00Z

Document:
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT            ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE Aaron E. Haith                    Jeffrey A. Modisett Indianapolis, Indiana                Attorney General of Indiana 
                             Andrew L. Hedges                             Deputy Attorney General                             Indianapolis, Indiana 
    In The INDIANA SUPREME COURT  JAMES McKINNEY, ) Defendant-Appellant, ) ) v. ) 49S00-9702-CR-122 ) STATE OF INDIANA, ) Plaintiff-Appellee. ) 
 ________________________________________________  APPEAL FROM THE MARION SUPERIOR COURT The Honorable Nancy L. Broyles, Master Commissioner Cause No. 49G04-9507-CF-102627  _________________________________________________ 
 On Direct Appeal 
   
 DICKSON, J. 
     The defendant contends that his murder conviction is not supported by sufficient evidence. When presented with this issue, we will affirm the conviction if, considering only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences supporting the verdict and without reweighing evidence or assessing witness credibility, we conclude that a reasonable trier 
 of fact could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Mayo v. State, 681 N.E.2d 689, 691 (Ind. 1997).      The evidence included the testimony of two witnesses who observed the defendant shoot the victim. Two witnesses heard the defendant admit the shooting. The defendant walked up to the victim, checked him for weapons, and then repeatedly shot him when he noticed that the victim was in possession of a handgun. The evidence does not demonstrate that the victim ever attempted to use the handgun to place the defendant in fear of great bodily harm or death. The defendant argues that inconsistencies render the testimony inherently dubious and that the State failed to rebut his claim of self-defense.      Applying our standard of review, we find that a reasonable jury could have found the defendant guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt.      Judgment affirmed. SHEPARD, C.J., and SULLIVAN, SELBY, and BOEHM, JJ., concur.