Title: State v. McGahuey

State: oregon

Issuer: Oregon Supreme Court

Document:

Affirmed May 23, 1962.
G.W. Kellington, Medford, argued the cause for appellant. With him on the brief was Robert D. Heffernan, Jr., Medford.
Alan B. Holmes, District Attorney, Medford, argued the cause and filed a brief for respondent.
Before McALLISTER, Chief Justice, and ROSSMAN, WARNER, PERRY, SLOAN, O'CONNELL and GOODWIN, Justices.
Affirmed.
*644 McALLISTER, C.J.
The defendant LeeRoy Sanford McGahuey was indicted for the murder of Rod Cameron Holt, a child 23 months of age. He entered a plea of not guilty and also gave notice of his intention to prove insanity as a defense. The jury found defendant guilty of murder in the first degree and did not recommend life imprisonment. The mandatory death sentence was imposed, and an automatic appeal has been taken to this court pursuant to ORS 138.410-138.430.
The only error assigned is the refusal of the court to withdraw the charge of murder in the first degree from consideration by the jury. Defendant contends that there was insufficient evidence of deliberate and premeditated malice.
There is relatively little dispute about the facts of this case. It appears that defendant for about 30 days prior to February 13, 1961 had been living in an apartment in Central Point with Loris Mae Holt and her child, Rod Cameron Holt. On the date mentioned the defendant killed both Mrs. Holt and the child. One of defendant's confessions contains the following description of the tragedy:
1. This court has uniformly held that whether "deliberate and premeditated malice" has been proved *646 beyond a reasonable doubt is a question for the jury. State v. Hansen, 195 Or 169, 211-12, 244 P2d 990 (1952); State v. Leland, 190 Or 598, 637, 227 P2d 785, aff'd, 343 US 790, 72 S Ct 1002, 96 LEd 1302 (1952); State v. Henderson, 182 Or 147, 191-93, 184 P2d 392, 186 P2d 519 (1947); State v. Ogilvie, 180 Or 365, 366-67, 175 P2d 454 (1946); State v. Butchek, 121 Or 141, 151, 159, 253 P 367, 254 P 805 (1927); State v. Megorden, 49 Or 259, 273, 276, 88 P 306 (1907); State v. Morey, 25 Or 241, 245-46, 35 P 655, 36 P 573 (1894); State v. Hansen, 25 Or 391, 409, 35 P 976, 36 P 296 (1894); State v. Carver, 22 Or 602, 605, 30 P 315 (1892).
2. The terms "deliberation" and "premeditation" as used in our homicide statutes have a well defined meaning. State v. Leland, supra, at 640-41; State v. Ogilvie, supra, at 374-76; State v. Butchek, supra, at 156-57; State v. Megorden, supra, at 273; State v. Morey, supra, at 244; State v. Henderson, 24 Or 100, 102-05, 32 P 1030 (1893); State v. Ah Lee, 8 Or 214, 220-21 (1880).
In this case the trial court carefully explained the terms "deliberation" and "premeditation" to the jury in instructions to which no exception was taken. We have reviewed the evidence in this case with great care and are satisfied that there was ample evidence from which the jury could find that defendant killed Rod Holt with deliberate and premeditated malice.
Defendant relies primarily on certain statements contained in the testimony of the psychiatrists regarding his mental condition after he had killed Loris Holt and before he killed Rod Holt. It is sufficient to say, first, that there was ample psychiatric testimony to support the verdict of the jury, and second, that in any event the jury were not bound by the opinions of *647 the psychiatrists. State v. Leland, supra, (190 Or at 637). As this court said in the Leland case:
3. We have carefully reviewed the record and are satisfied the judgment must be affirmed. Defendant was represented, both in the trial court and on appeal, by able counsel and had a fair trial, free from error. The law authorizes the jury to determine the degree of the crime and to assess the penalty, and we are bound by its findings.
The judgment is affirmed.