In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: Ma y 1 1

, 2 0 15

S 1 5 A0 3 4 0 . WILS O N v . THE S TATE.

BENHAM, Ju stic e

.

Ap p e lla n t A n d r e a R e n e e Wilso n a p p e a ls h e r c o nv ic tio n s fo r fe lo n y

m u rd e r a n d o th e r c rim e s re la te d to th e d e a th o f P rin c e Da v is. 1 We a ffirm

.

Th e re c o rd c o n stru e d in a lig ht m o st fa v ora b le to th e v e rd ic t sh o ws th e

v ic tim wa s b o rn in Ju n e 2 0 0 4 a nd h a d no m a jo r h e a lth issu e s e x c e p t a sth m a

wh ic h wa s u n d e r c o n tro l. In 2 0 0 5

, th e v ic tim ’s m o th e r wa s in c a rc e ra te d

. In

Ma rc h 2 0 0 6

, th e c h ild we n t to liv e with a pp e lla n t, wh o wa s th e m o th e r’s c o u sin

,

1 On F ebruary 13, 2 007, a L iberty County g rand jury returned a true bill of indictment ag ainst appellant on two c o unts of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, and two counts of cruelty

to children in the first deg ree. On September 14, 2009, appellant was re-indicted. T h e State

announced it would be seeking the d e ath penalty

, b ut a g reed to seek life without parole. Appellant

was tried with co-defendant Corey B rown before a jury from October 20, 2010, to O ctober 27, 2010.

T h e j u r y acquitted appellant on the two counts o f malice murder, but f o und her g uilty o n t h e remaining charg es. On December 13, 2010, the trial court sentenced appellant to concurrent terms
of life without parole for both counts of felony murder and to concurrent terms of twenty y ears each

for the counts of cruelty to children in the first deg ree. Appellant moved for a new trial on December 13, 2010, and amended the motion on J une 19, 2012. The trial court held a hearing on the motion

on F ebruary 24, 2014. On May 17, 2014, the trial court denied the motion for new trial, a s amended,

on the substantive g rounds; however it issued a re-sentencing order on J uly 14, 2 0 1 4

, wh e r e in it

sentenced a

ppellant to life without parole for one count of felony murder and merg ed the remaining

counts. Appellant f

iled a notice of appeal o n J u ly 17, 2014 and the c ase was docketed to the J anuary 2015 Term of this Court for a decision to be made on the briefs.a n d h e r b o y frie nd

, c o -d e fe n d a n t Co re y Bro wn

. On Ja n u a ry 1 6, 2 0 0 7

, a p p e lla n t

fo u n d th e v ic tim fa lle n o v e r in th e c a r se a t sh e h a d p la c e d h im in wh ile sh e wa s

c o o k in g

. Re a liz in g he wa s n o t b re a th in g , a p p e lla n t to o k th e u n re s p o n s i v e v ic tim

o v e r to a n e ig h b o r’s h o u se a n d th e n e ig h b o r c a lle d 9 11

. Wh e n first re sp o n d e rs

a rriv e d, th e y no te d th a t th e v i c t i m h a d n o p ulse a n d wa s n o t b re a th in g a n d so

th e y ru sh e d h im to th e h o sp ita l. De sp ite h e ro ic m e a su re s, th e c h ild c o u ld n o t b e

re v iv e d

.

At tria l, th e m e d ic a l e x a m in e r te stifie d th a t t h e c h i l d d ie d fro m b a tte re d

c h ild sy n d ro m e

. Th e c h ild h a d a p p ro x im a te ly 2 0 0 n o n -a c c id e nta l in ju rie s, so m e

o f wh ic h we re a c u te a nd so m e o f wh ic h w e re a t v a rio u s sta g e s o f h e a lin g. Th e se

in ju rie s in c lu d e d

, a m o n g o th e r th in g s, b ru isin g a n d sc a rrin g a ll o ve r th e c h ild ’s

b o d y , b lu n t fo rc e tra u m a to th e b ra in

, b ru ise d k id n e y s, a n e c ro tic (g a n g re n o u s)

to e , wh ic h re su lte d fro m a n im m e rsio n b u rn , a n d b ru ise d a n d swo lle n ge n ita lia

.

Th e m e d ic a l e x a m in e r te stifie d th a t th e c h i l d wa s a lso m a ln o u rish e d a n d h a d

k e to ne s wh ic h wa s in d ic a tiv e o f sta rv a tio n

.

Ap p e lla n t to ld p o lic e th a t sh e b e lie v e d th e c h ild h a d a de v il o r d e m o n in

h im a n d th a t h e o f

t e n ha d se iz u re s o r “ fe ll ou t” an d in ju re d him se lf. S h e a lso

to ld p o lic e th a t sh e g a v e th e c h ild pra y e r o il a n d ha d o th e rs p ra y fo r h im

. At

2tria l, a

pp e lla n t te stifie d th a t sh e a n d Bro wn b o th h it th e c hild

, a lth o u g h sh e

sta te d th a t sh e o n ly h it th e c h ild ’s le gs an d h a nd s with a switc h or a we t

wa sh c lo th

. 2 Ap p e lla n t sta te d th a t Bro wn wo u ld h it th e c h i l d h a rd in th e b a c k

with h is h a n d s a

n d wo u ld b e a t th e c h ild w ith a be lt. Ap p e lla nt a d m itte d th a t sh e

h a d o bse rv e d n u m e ro u s in ju rie s on th e c h ild an d n o te d th a t h e wa s sic k a n d n o t

e a tin g , bu t n e ve r so u g h t m e d ic a l a tte ntio n fo r a n y o f h is in ju rie s o r a n y illn e ss

p rio r to th e c h ild ’s d e a th

.

1

. A p p e lla n t c o n te n d s th a t th e e vid e n c e wa s i n s u f f ic ie nt to c o n v ic t

b e ca u s e th e m e d ic a l e x a m in e r c o u ld no t p in p o in t an y o n e in ju ry o r a c t b y

a p p e lla n t th a t c a

use d th e c h ild ’s d e a th . We d isa g re e

.

Wh e n c o n stru in g Ge o rg ia ' s fe lo n y m urd e r sta tu te

, th is Co u rt h a s h e l d th a t c a

u sin g th e d e a th o f a n o th e r h u m a n b e in g m e a n s

p ro x ima te c a

u sa tio n

. S ta te v . Ja c k so n, 2 8 7 Ga . 6 4 6 (2 ) (6 9 7 S E2 d

7 5 7 ) (2 0 1 0 ). ‘P ro x im a te c a u sa tio n im

p o se s l i ab i l ity fo r th e

re a so n a b ly fo re se e a

b le re su lts o f c rim in a l ... c o n d u c t if th e re is n o

su ffic ie nt, i n d e p e n d e n t, a n d u n fo re se e n in te rv e n in g c a u se .’ Id

. a t
6 5 4

. We c on sid e r th e e le m e n ts o f th e fe lo n y n ot in th e a b stra c t, b u t
in th e a c t ua l c irc u m sta n c e s in wh ic h th e fe lo ny wa s c om m itte d

. Da v is v . S ta te , 2 9 0 Ga . 7 5 7 , 7 6 0 (4 ) (7 2 5 S E2 d 2 8 0 ) (2 0 1 2 ).

Cu rrie r v

. S ta te

, 2 9 4 Ga

. 3 9 2

, 3 9 4 (1 ) (7 5 4 S E2 d 1 7 ) (2 0 1 4 ). In th is c a se ,

a p p e lla n t a n d Bro wn we re th e o n ly c a r e t a k e r s o f th e c h ild fro m Ma rc h 2 0 0 6

2 I n her statement to police, appellant also stated she had hit the child with a flip-flop shoe.

3u n til h is d e a th in Ja n u a ry 2 0 0 7

. Ap p e lla n t a d m itte d th a t sh e a nd B ro w n h it th e

c h ild

. Ap p e lla n t a lso a d m itte d th a t sh e ne v e r so u g h t m e d ic a l a tte n tio n fo r th e

c h ild

, a lth ou g h sh e wa s a wa re th a t h e h a d in ju rie s a n d wa s s i c k

. T h e m e d ic a l

e x a m in e r c o n c lu d e d th a t th e to ta lity o f th e 2 0 0 c h ro n ic a n d a c u te in ju rie s c a u se d

th e c h ild ’s de a th a n d th a t th e c h ild ’s b o d y itse lf wa s a “ sm o k in g g u n.” Th is

e v id e n c e wa s su f

f i c i e n t to c o n v ic t a

p p e lla n t o f th e c rim e s fo r wh ic h th e ju ry

re tu rn e d v e rd ic ts o f g u ilt. S e e Co rd e ro v . S ta te
, _

_ Ga

. _

_ (_

_ S E2 d

_

_ ), 2 0 1 5

WL 1 1 3 52 8 1 (Ma rc h 1 6 , 2 0 1 5 ).

2

. Ap p e lla n t a lle g e s h e r tria l a tto rn e y s we re c o n stitu tio n a lly in e ffe c tiv e

wh e n th e y fa ile d to o b

je c t, b a se d o n he a rsa y a n d Co n fro nta tio n Cla u se g ro u n d s,

to th e c u sto d ia l sta te m e n ts c o-d e fe n d a n t Bro wn m a d e to p o lic e

. In p artic u la r,

a p p e lla n t c o m

p la in s a b o u t Br o wn ’s sta te m e n ts th a t a p p e lla n t c a re d fo r th e

v ic tim ’s n e c ro tic to e , th a t a p p e lla n t b e lie v e d th e v ic tim wa s p o sse sse d

, th a t

a p p e lla n t u se d p ra y e r o il o n th e c h ild

, th a t d e m on s we re ta un tin g th e two to h urt

th e c h ild

, a n d Bro wn ’s sta te m e n t th a t h e a n d a p p e lla n t we re p la nn in g a n

e x o rc ism

. Ap p e lla n t a rg u e s th a t th e a d m issio n o f th e se sta te m e nts h a rm e d h e r

b e c a u se th e y we re in c u lp a to ry a n d in fla m m a to ry

.

4In o rd e r t o p re v a il o n a c la im o f in e ffe c tiv e a ssista n c e o f c o u n se l,

a p p e lla n t

m u st sh o w c o u n se l' s p e rfo rm a nc e wa s d e fic ie n t a n d th a t th e d e fic ie nt p e rfo rm a n c e pre ju d ic e d h im to th e p o in t th a t a re a so na b le

p ro b a b ility e x ists th a t, b u t fo r c o un se l' s e rro rs, th e o u tc o m e o f th e tria l wo u ld h a v e b e e n diffe re n t. A stro n g p re su m ptio n e x ists th a t

c o u n s e l' s c o n d u c t fa lls with in th e b ro a d ra n g e o f p ro fe ssio n a l

c o n d u c t.

(Cita tio n a

n d p u n c tu a tio n om itte d .) P ru itt v

. S t a t e, 2 8 2 G a

. 3 0

, 3 4 (4 ) (6 4 4

S E2 d 8 3 7 (2 0 0 7 ). If a d e fe n d a n t fa ils t o me e t h e r b u rd e n o n o ne p ro n g o f th e

two -p ro n g te st, th e n th e o th e r p ro n g n e e d n o t b e re v ie we d by th e Co u rt. Wrig h t

v

. S ta te

, 2 9 1 Ga

. 8 6 9

, 8 7 0 ( 2 ) (7 3 4 S E2 d 87 6 ) (2 0 12 ). P re te rm ittin g wh e th e r

a p p e lla n t’s tria l a tto rn e y s we re d e fic ie n t in th e ir p e rfo rm a n c e b y fa ilin g to m a k e

a n o b je c t i o n t o B r o w n ’ s c u s t o d ia l sta te m e n ts, a p p e lla n t h a s n ot sh o wn p re ju d ic e

.

Ap p e lla n t h e rse lf te stifie d th a t sh e tre a te d th e c h ild ’s n e c ro tic to e b y p u ttin g a n

o in tm e n t o n it a

n d c o v e rin g it with a

b a n d a ge . S h e a lso to ld p o lic e du rin g h e r

c u sto d ia l sta te m e n ts, th e tra n sc rip ts o f wh ic h we re re a d to th e j u ry , th a t sh e

b e lie v e d th e c h ild h a d a d e v il o r d e m o n in h im a n d th a t sh e u se d p ra y e r o il o n

h im in th a t re g a rd

. A lth o u g h a p p e lla n t n e v e r sa id d e m o ns “ta u n te d ” h e r to h urt

th e c h ild

, sh e d id a d m it th a t b o th sh e a nd Bro wn h it th e c h ild b e c a u se th e c h ild

5wa s b e h a v in g a s if p o sse sse d b y a d e v il o r a d e m o n

. In a d d i t i o n , a lth o u g h

a p p e lla n t d id n o t u se th e w o rd “ e x o rc ism ” in he r d isc u ssio n s with p o lic e , sh e d id

sa y th a t sh e p la n ne d to h a v e o th e rs in th e c om m u n ity p la c e t h e i r h a n d s o n th e

c h ild a n d p ra y , p re su m a

b l y to rid him o f th e de v il o r d e m o n p o sse ssin g h im

.

Th u s, th e re c o rd sh o ws Bro wn ’s c u sto d ia l sta te m e nts we re m e re lyc u m u la tiv e

o f a pp e lla n t’s o wn p ro p e rly a d m itte d sta te m e n ts an d te stim o ny

. Th e fa ilu re o f

tria l c o u n se l to o bje c t to su c h c u m u la tiv e e vid e n c e d o e s n o t su p p o rt a c la im o f

in e ffe c tiv e a ssista n c e o f c o u n se l. S e e Ja c k so n v. S ta te

, 2 88 Ga

. 2 1 3 (2 ) (e ) (7 0 2

S E2 d 2 01 ) (2 0 1 0 ).

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o nc u r.

6