Case Name: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Ronald MILTON; COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Ronald F. MILTON; COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Thomas E. WORMSLEY (two cases)
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1975-04-25
Citations: 461 Pa. 535
Docket Number: Nos. 9, 18, 38 and 39
Parties: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Ronald MILTON. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Ronald F. MILTON. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Thomas E. WORMSLEY (two cases).
Judges: Before JONES, C. J., and EAGEN, O’BRIEN, ROBERTS, POMEROY, NIX and MANDERINO, JJ.
Reporter: Pennsylvania State Reports
Volume: 461
Pages: 535–545

Head Matter:
337 A.2d 282
COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Ronald MILTON. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Ronald F. MILTON. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Thomas E. WORMSLEY (two cases).
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Argued March 11, 1975.
Decided April 25, 1975.
John J. Hickton, Dist. Atty., Robert L. Eberhardt, Asst. Dist. Atty., for appellant.
John J. Dean, Pittsburgh, for appellees.
Before JONES, C. J., and EAGEN, O’BRIEN, ROBERTS, POMEROY, NIX and MANDERINO, JJ.

Opinion:
OPINION
EAGEN, Justice.
These appeals were consolidated for presentation to this Court, and will be disposed of in this one opinion. The background is this:
About 7:45 p. m. on November 21, 1973, Mrs. Cecelia Buczkowski was the victim of a purse snatching in the automobile parking area of a shopping center in Pleasant Hills Borough, Allegheny County. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Buczkowski was foundt lying on the ground unconscious. She was removed to a hospital where she died two days later. In the course of the police investigation, Ronald Milton and Thomas E. Wormsley were questioned about the crime. They were later indicted for the murder of Mrs. Buczkowski and other charges related to the assault and theft. Each filed a pretrial motion to suppress evidence of his statements to the police. After evidentiary hearings, the trial court granted the motions. The Commonwealth filed these appeals.
The testimony at the suppression hearings remained uncontradicted throughout and established these facts:
About one hour after the occurrence of the purse snatching, police officers of Pleasant Hills Borough had cause to pursue a "Blue Torino" automobile. During the chase the "Blue Torino" crashed into a pole and was substantially damaged. The driver, who was the sole occupant, fled on foot and escaped. A police search of the abandoned vehicle disclosed a sales slip on the front seat from Kaufman's department store located in the shopping center where Mrs. Buczkowski was assaulted. The sales slip was issued in the name of Richard A. Buczkowski, which is the name of the husband of the victim.
Later the same night, about 10:00 p. m., Ronald Milton was taken into custody by the Pleasant Hills Borough police on a warrant issued by the authorities of nearby West Mifflin Borough, Allegheny County, charging him with having committed a robbery in that borough. After his arrest, Milton was warned of his constitutional rights as mandated by Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). The chief of police of Pleasant Hills Borough then, noting that the robbery charge from West Mifflin Borough involved a purse snatching, asked Milton if he had been near the Pleasant Hills Shopping Center earlier that evening. Milton said "no", but in a brief period of questioning that followed, he stated that the "Blue Torino" which the police pursued earlier in the evening was a "hot" car and the driver at the time of the chase was a Thomas Wormsley. Milton was then turned over to the custody of the West Mifflin Borough police.
About 1:00 p. m., on November 23, 1973, Milton appeared voluntarily at the Allegheny County Detective Bureau at the request of the Captain of Detectives. In answer to questions, Milton explained how he knew Wormsley was the driver of the "Blue Torino" the police chased on the night of November 21st. The interview lasted about one and three-quarters hours and was recorded on a typewriter. In this interview, Milton said nothing self-incriminating and at its conclusion he was permitted to leave.
A warrant charging murder then issued for Wormsley and he was taken into custody at his residence in Mc-Keesport about 12:15 a. m., on November 24th. He was escorted to the Allegheny County Detective Bureau arriving about 1:00 a. m. He was immediately advised of his Miranda rights and the reason for his arrest. After being "processed", questioning by the Captain of Detectives commenced about 1:15 a. m. Initially, Wormsley said nothing incriminating, but when he was informed Milton had told the police he was the driver of the "Blue Torino", a "hot" car, he became "upset" and asked permission to phone a Samuel Gunter and a Gerald Parker. Permission was given and about 2:00 a. m., an effort was made to contact Gunter and Parker but without success. Wormsley then pressed the Captain of Detectives for a detailed account of what Milton had said. Sometime before 4:00 a. m., Wormsley admitted his involvement in the Buczkowski assault and theft. Then beginning at 4:00 a. m., and continuing for about one hour, he detailed the occurrence. This statement which was recorded on a typewriter, not only described Wormsley's participation in the Buczkowski crime, but also identified Milton, Gunter and Parker as active participants.
As a result of Wormsley's incriminating and accusatory statement, a warrant issued for Milton and he was taken into police custody at his residence about 10:35 a. m., on November 24th. Upon his arrival at the Allegheny County Detective Bureau about 11:10 a. m., he was immediately advised of the nature of the charges upon which he had been arrested, as well as his Miranda rights. Milton was also informed that Wormsley had implicated him in the Buczkowski assault and theft. Without hesitation, Milton admitted he participated and said he was ready to make a complete statement. The recording of the statement began shortly after 12:00 noon and was completed within two hours. Milton and Wormsley were arraigned at 3:15 p. m.
Based on the foregoing, the trial court suppressed the evidence of everything Milton said to the police on November 23rd and 24th, and everything Wormsley said to the police on November 24th. We reverse these orders for the reasons that follow.
The suppression orders were based on the trial court's conclusion that there was an unnecessary delay between the arrest and arraignment of both Milton and Wormsley in violation of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule No. 118 [now 130], 19 P.S. Appendix, and this "unnecessary delay . . . caused" the challenged statements to be given. See Commonwealth v. Futch, 447 Pa. 389, 290 A.2d 417 (1972). But as the uncontradicted testimony demonstrated there was no "unnecessary delay" between Milton's arrest and his self-incrimination. His initial admission of involvement ensued within minutes of his arrival at the County Detective Bureau on November 24th, and his detailed statement of the crime and his participation therein was completed and recorded within a three-hour period. This cannot be viewed as the "unnecessary delay" contemplated by Rule 118. Cf. Commonwealth v. Rowe, 459 Pa. 163, 327 A.2d 358 (1974).
While some time elapsed between Wormsley's arrest and his initial self-incrimination, evidentiary use of his statements to the police was not proscribed under Rule 118. Even assuming, there was "unnecessary delay" between his arrest and self-incrimination, this does not "ipso facto" render evidence of his self-incriminations inadmissible at trial. Commonwealth v. Tingle, 451 Pa. 241, 301 A.2d 701 (1973). In order for such evidence to be excluded, under Rule 118, the evidence must be reasonably related to the delay. In other words, a "nexus" between the delay and the challenged evidence must be established and the burden of proving this "nexus" is upon the party who asserts it. Commonwealth v. Goodwin, 460 Pa. 516, 333 A.2d 892 (1975). This "nexus" was not proven here.
Orders reversed.
POMEROY and NIX, JJ., agree with the result because they do not believe the delay in either case constituted an unnecessary delay.
ROBERTS, J., files a concurring and dissenting opinion in which MANDERINO, J., joins.
. Appellate jurisdiction of appeals Nos. 38 & 39 is in the Superior Court, and these appeals were properly filed in that court. Appellate jurisdiction of appeals ¡Ños. 9 & 18 is in this Court, and these appeals were properly filed here. Since all appeals were interrelated and arose as a result of the same incident, the appeals filed in the Superior Court were certified here.
The record establishes that as a result of the suppression of the challenged evidence the Commonwealth will be substantially handicapped in the prosecution of the indictments against Milton and Wormsley, 'because it will be unable to present all available relevant evidence. Hence, the Commonwealth has the right to appeal from the suppression orders. Commonwealth v. Bosurgi, 411 Pa. 56, 190 A.2d 304 (1963).
. Gunter and Parker were arraigned at the same time.
. The time elapsing between the obtaining of a confession and the arraignment is not relevant to the issue of "unnecessary delay" under Rule 118. See Commonwealth v. Rowe, supra.