Case Name: David Edward DELLINGER, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1986-08-21
Citations: 495 So. 2d 197
Docket Number: No. 85-1349
Parties: David Edward DELLINGER, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: ORFINGER and COWART, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 495
Pages: 197–200

Head Matter:
David Edward DELLINGER, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 85-1349.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
Aug. 21, 1986.
On Motion for Rehearing Oct. 2, 1986.
James B. Gibson, Public Defender and Michael L. O’Neill, Asst. Public Defender, Daytona Beach, for appellant.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and W. Brian Bayly, Asst. Atty. Gen., Daytona Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
SHARP, Judge.
Dellinger appeals from his conviction and sentence for second degree murder on the ground that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support the jury's verdict. Because of a potential conflict with Marasa v. State, 394 So.2d 544 (Fla. 5th DCA), review denied, 402 So.2d 613 (Fla.1981), we considered this case en banc, and we affirm. To the extent the result in Marasa conflicts with the result in this case, we recede from Marasa.
The record in this case presented little factual conflict as to the circumstances of the victim's death. Dellinger was then twenty-two years old, and he had no previous juvenile or adult record. He and his wife were in their bedroom with their door closed. The couple with whom they shared their apartment testified they heard Del-linger and his wife arguing, although not their exact words. The victim had a suitcase on her bed, and was in the process of putting some clothes into it.
Dellinger testified he picked up a rifle and pointed it in the direction of his wife. He said he meant to get her attention and scare her. He did not think the rifle was loaded, but he did not check to see whether it was loaded or not. Dellinger stated to his wife that he could shoot her, and he pressed the trigger. Apparently, his wife was not frightened because she did not turn around to look at him, and was still arguing with him when she was struck by the bullet.
Appellant exclaimed "Oh, my God," and carried his wife out of the bedroom. He was shocked and distraught, and stated he accidentally shot his wife. He assisted in taking the victim to the hospital where she died the following day.
Second degree murder requires a jury to find "the unlawful killing of a human being, when perpetrated by any act imminently dangerous to another and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life, although without any premediated design to effect the death." There may be, as in this case, little express testimony concerning a defendant's malice or depraved state of mind. However, we think the jury could have inferred this necessary element of second degree murder from the evidence in this case. Here Dellinger pointed a rifle at his wife without knowing (and thus without caring) whether or not it was loaded, and then deliberately pulled the trigger, killing her. We think those facts permitted the jury to infer Dellinger had a "depraved mind regardless of human life" when he fired the rifle.
AFFIRMED.
ORFINGER and COWART, JJ., concur.
COBB, J., concurs and concurs specially, with opinion in which COWART, J., also concurs.
DAUKSCH, J., concurs in part and dissents in part, with opinion in which UP-CHURCH, C.J., concurs.
. § 782.04, Fla.Stat. (1984).
. Fla.R.App.P. 9.331.
.§ 782.04(2), Fla.Stat. (1984).