Opinion ID: 2599107
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Issue 1. Ability to Present a Complete Defense Regarding Confabulation

Text: Before trial, a full evidentiary hearing was held on Kleypas' motion to suppress his confession. The videotaped confession detailed Kleypas' actions on the evening of March 29 and the early morning hours of March 30 when C.W. was murdered. The trial court determined that this videotaped confession was freely and voluntarily given. The confession was admitted at trial and shown to the jury. At trial, Kleypas challenged the reliability and weight to be given to his confession. His expert witnesses sought to establish that he experienced a blackout during the evening and morning of the murder, that his memory of the events related by his confession was impaired, and that the events he related were at least in part supplied by the officers who interrogated him on the return trip to Kansas. More specifically, Kleypas claimed that his confession was, at least in part, the product of confabulation. Confabulation was explained in depth by Kleypas' expert witnesses as the process where one who has little or no memory of events occurring because of a blackout will gather information from outside sources to fill in the gaps in memory. Defense expert witness Dr. John Wisner, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, testified regarding the concept of confabulation: Confabulation is what happens when the brain tries to make up for missing information, tries to fill in missing pieces of data. It is part of a natural reflex that we use just, for example, in vision. There is a hole if you cover up one eye and use only one eye to look at the world, there is actually a hole in your visual field where the nerve comes into the eye. There [are] no sensors there for light. But if you close your eye and look, you are not aware that there is a big hole there. The brain fills in missing information. It slides stuff in from the edges so that we are not aware of the gap. That is what also happens when there is a memory lacuna [hole], when there is a gap in memory, the brain literally will try to bring in extraneous information, little bits and pieces from elsewhere so as to ignore or fill in this big chuckhole in memory. Dr. Wisner thoroughly explained the process involved in confabulation to the jury. According to Dr. Wisner, there is a danger in questioning someone who has experienced a blackout by using leading questions or hypothetical questions because the question will contain a part of the answer. He described for the jury the difference between lying and confabulation: Well, they are completely different. In lying a person knows information and either contradicts it or makes something else up. It is a conscious, knowing act. Confabulation is literally a reflex. It is going to happen whether you want it to or not and if the circumstances are right, it is almost sure to happen. Blackouts and confabulation were thoroughly explored in Kleypas' direct examination of Dr. Wisner. No limitation was imposed by the court on his testimony. Following Dr. Wisner, Kleypas called another clinical professor of psychiatry from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Dr. Ekkehard Othmer. During direct examination, Dr. Othmer was asked if in his medical opinion Kleypas had suffered a blackout during the period of time surrounding the 29th and 30th of March 1996. An objection was made by the State on the basis that the answer to this question related to the criminal responsibility of Kleypas for the acts he committed on those dates. More specifically, the State argued that while Kleypas had initially notified the State under the provisions of K.S.A. 22-3219 that he would rely on evidence of a mental disease or defect excluding criminal responsibility, Kleypas later withdrew this notice. An extended hearing was conducted outside the presence of the jury on the admissibility of the answer of Dr. Othmer. Notwithstanding the argument of Kleypas that he was seeking admission of Dr. Othmer's answer to attack the credibility of his confession on the basis that it was a product of confabulation, the trial court viewed admission of such evidence as an attempt by Kleypas to rely on the defense of lack of mental state to establish his lack of criminal responsibility for his acts on the 29th and 30th of March 1996. Had Kleypas not withdrawn his notice to rely on the mental disease or defect provisions of K.S.A. 22-3219, the State would have been entitled to have Kleypas examined by a psychiatrist of its own choosing to rebut such evidence. The court viewed Kleypas' attempt as an indirect attempt to circumvent the provisions of K.S.A. 22-3219, by raising a very technical defense which the trial court characterized as fundamentally unfair and as an ambush. After much discussion and argument, the trial court concluded: The Court would deny that and the Court will order as follows. The defendant will be allowed to provide information to the jury through Dr. Othmer's testimony regarding whether or not the defendant was suffering from some sort of black out during that period of time that he gave his confession or his statement so as to induce him or so as to make him prone to confabulate. The defendant seeks to go further than that and explore through this testimony the defendant's state of mind at the time of the matter in question that violates 22-3219. The defendant previously had filed a notice of intent to rely upon the defense of lack of mental state. The defendant later withdrew that request and the court ordered that pursuant to that statute the State would have the opportunity to subject the defendant to its own expert examination. Upon being advised of that, the defendant withdrew its notice of the intent to rely upon that statute. The defendant seeks to essentially through the back door get into evidence that sort of information. This is fundamentally unfair to the State. The State has not had the opportunity to examine the defendant as to his state of mind. This is complex information, complex testimony. The State has a right to examine the defendant and, frankly, Mr. Moots [defense counsel], the Court continues to believe that no matter how you phrase it, you are trying to introduce testimony regarding the defendant's state of mind the day in question and, in fact, you have told me you were wanting to introduce the defendant's state of mind on the 29th and 30th. If you can limit it to theto April 2 when the defendant gave his alleged statement and whether or not he was suffering from some sort of mental state that would make him prone to confabulate on April 2, I will allow that but anything beyond that you've gone too far and the Court would not specifically allow that. Thus, Kleypas was prevented by the ruling of the court from inquiring about his state of mind on the 29th and 30th of March, but was allowed to inquire into his state of mind subsequent to the time of the offenses. The crux of Kleypas' claim is that he was denied his constitutional right to present a complete defense because the court precluded meaningful questioning of Dr. Othmer regarding whether Kleypas' statement to the police was confabulated. After the trial court's ruling, direct examination of Dr. Othmer continued and Kleypas was able to fully develop his theory that his confession was in part the result of confabulation. Dr. Othmer testified at length concerning confabulation, indicating to the jury that the method of asking questions used in Kleypas' case, including urging him that the two families needed answers and that confession was good for the soul, increased the likelihood of confabulation. Dr. Othmer testified that Kleypas was much more susceptible to confabulation than an ordinary person. Finally, defense counsel asked Dr. Othmer: Q. Did the recorded interview that you watched, the twelve minute videotape, allow you to make any medical or psychiatric conclusions about what you believed occurred during the unrecorded statements? A. It is clearly a rehearsal. It is clearly picking out certain things from what went onwhat went on before because these questions connect poorly. In a live interview, in a naturalistic interview, you pick up the clues from thefrom the respondent and this is here missing as I showed with this one question like out of the blue these questions seemed to comment, you wonder where is the connection, where is it coming come from, what does a suspect tell you to prompt such a question. Q. Without knowing the exact form of the questions that were asked of Mr. Kleypas in the car, can you tell whether or not Agent Williams and Detective Hite provided him information that allowed him to confabulate parts of his statement to them? A. Yes, several of these questions contain information that Mr. Williams and Mr. Hite knew as a fact and they introduced that. Whether that is Mr. Kleypas' true recollection or not is completely unclear. Q. Okay. So the form of the question is very important when you are dealing with somebody who may be confabulating at least parts of their statements? A. Absolutely. You want to be as open ended as possible and not suggest any facts. Q. Okay. And since there is no recording of the earlier statements, can you tell what information was implanted for Mr. Kleypas and what was his own autonomous recollection? A. Well, that is difficult to do. Each of the questions that he was asked may have been his recollection, may not have been his recollection, so it is so confounded with the interview technique, that the results are very questionable to me. With these facts in mind, we turn to our analysis of this issue. Our standard of review concerning this claimed error involves the interpretation of K.S.A. 22-3219, as well as a determination whether, based on the evidence of record, Kleypas was denied his constitutional right to present a complete defense. K.S.A. 22-3219 provides: Evidence of mental disease or defect excluding criminal responsibility is not admissible upon a trial unless the defendant serves upon the prosecuting attorney and files with the court a written notice of such defendant's intention to assert the defense that the defendant, as a result of mental disease or defect lacked the mental state required as an element of the offense charged. Kleypas initially invoked the above provision but then withdrew his notice prior to trial. The trial court concluded Dr. Othmer's testimony as to a blackout at the time of the offenses charged amounted to evidence of mental disease or defect and was therefore inadmissible. At the same time, both Dr. Wisner and Dr. Othmer were given wide latitude in their testimony concerning confabulation. Dr. Othmer was allowed to give his opinion that Kleypas' confession was in part the product of confabulation. Our prior cases draw a clear distinction between a defense of insanity and voluntary intoxication. See In re Habeas Corpus Petition of Mason, 245 Kan. 111, 113, 775 P.2d 179 (1989). In Mason, we stated: We have recognized that insanity and voluntary intoxication are two separate defenses. In State v. Seely, 212 Kan. 195, 200, 510 P.2d 115 (1973), we held the defendant was not entitled to an insanity instruction because the evidence showed `alcohol was the key factor in [the defendant's] loss of control and the sina qua non of all of his difficulties.' We held `mental incapacity produced by voluntary intoxication, existing only temporarily at the time of the criminal offense` does not reach the level of insanity. 212 Kan. at 197. .... To hold that evidence of a temporary mental condition caused by voluntary intoxication requires the defense to plead insanity would be to abolish the distinctions between the two defenses clearly laid out by statute and our cases. No notice of an insanity defense is required where the evidence points only to a temporary mental state negating specific intent caused by the voluntary consumption of alcohol. The trial court thus erred in declaring a mistrial. 245 Kan. at 113-14. The trial court in Mason had ordered a mistrial because defense counsel had in its opening statement told the jury that the evidence would show that Mason was incapable of forming intent because of his alcohol consumption. Similar to the trial court's ruling in the case we now review, the court in Mason found that evidence supporting the defense theory of a blackout, including Mason's previous history with alcohol, was evidence of mental illness amounting to insanity rather than simply evidence of voluntary intoxication. On appeal, this court reversed and drew a distinction between the defenses of insanity and voluntary intoxication, holding that evidence that a defendant suffered a blackout as a result of alcohol abuse, when introduced to show lack of intent, was not subject to the notice requirements of K.S.A. 22-3219. 245 Kan. at 114. There is a difference between the claim of Kleypas and that in Mason. Kleypas' claim of a blackout involved not only alcohol but chronic cocaine use and organic brain damage. These additional claims obviously influenced the trial court's decision. Nevertheless, based on Mason and the cases cited therein, together with our consideration of K.S.A. 22-3219, we conclude that the trial court erred by not allowing Dr. Othmer to express his opinion as to whether Kleypas experienced a blackout at the time of the offenses. The question we must answer is whether this error prevented Kleypas from presenting a complete defense and denied him a fair trial. See Crane v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 683, 690-91, 90 L. Ed.2d 636, 106 S. Ct. 2142 (1986) (holding that the exclusion of evidence which denied the defendant an opportunity to present a defense is subject to harmless error analysis). In Crane, the prosecutor stressed in his opening statement that the Commonwealth's case rested almost entirely on the defendant's confession. In response, defense counsel outlined what would prove to be the principal avenue of defensethat for a number of reasons, the defendant's confession should not be believed because it was rife with inconsistencies. In response to the prosecutor's motion in limine to exclude such testimony, the court expressly held that the defense could inquire into the inconsistencies contained in the confession, but would not be permitted to `develop in front of the jury' any evidence about the duration of the interrogation or the individuals who were in attendance. 476 U.S. at 686. The United States Supreme Court reversed on the basis that the defendant was denied due process of law. The Court noted that the Constitution guarantees criminal defendants a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense and stated: That opportunity would be an empty one if the State were permitted to exclude competent, reliable evidence bearing on the credibility of a confession when such evidence is central to the defendant's claim of innocence. In the absence of any valid state justification, exclusion of this kind of exculpatory evidence deprives a defendant of the basic right to have the prosecutor's case encounter and `survive the crucible of meaningful adversarial testing.' [Citations omitted]. 476 U.S. at 690-91. Similarly, in U. S. v. Hall, 93 F.3d 1337 (7th Cir. 1996), the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the defendant's conviction where the trial court did not allow expert testimony that the defendant's personality disorder could cause the defendant to give a false confession. The trial court entirely excluded expert testimony from a psychologist on false confessions, the indicia experts have identified to demonstrate when a false confession is likely to occur, and the factors experts rely on to distinguish between reliable and unreliable confessions. The court further limited the testimony of a psychiatrist, allowing him to testify about the defendant's mental condition but not about the defendant's susceptibility to various interrogation techniques and his capability of confessing to a crime he did not commit. Unlike Crane and Hall, in this case Dr. Wisner testified extensively on the psychiatric medical aspects of blackouts and the possibility of later confabulation. Dr. Othmer testified that it was his opinion that Kleypas' confession was at least in part confabulated and gave the basis of his opinion. While Kleypas claims that the exclusion of testimony concerning his blackout on the night of the murder denied him the right to present his defense, he was able to show that he had been drinking before the crimes, that there was evidence of extensive cocaine use prior to the night of the murder, and that he suffered from organic brain damage, all of which increased his chances of a blackout and the likelihood that the confession was the product of confabulation. When this evidence is considered with the testimony of Dr. Wisner and Dr. Othmer, it becomes clear that Kleypas was given the opportunity to convince the jury that his confession was in part confabulated. The limitations imposed by the court did not, in our opinion, prevent Kleypas from presenting his theory of defense to the jury, and we are able to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the error had little if any effect on the outcome. Issue 2. Admissibility of Kleypas' Confession Kleypas filed a motion to suppress statements made to officers during the automobile trip from Missouri to Kansas, and the videotaped statement made to officers after he arrived in Girard. He claims that these statements were involuntary. Hearings were held during 3 days in September 1996 on Kleypas' motion. The trial court denied Kleypas' motion in a written opinion setting forth its findings of fact and conclusions of law. Thereafter, Kleypas raised additional contentions concerning his statements which were denied by the trial court after a further hearing on May 16, 1997. Kleypas raises three points in this appeal: (1) His statements made shortly after his release from the hospital were involuntary because of his mental condition and an alleged threat by the interrogating officer, (2) the officers ignored his attempt to end the interrogation, and (3) his statements should be stricken because of alleged misconduct on the part of the State. The standard of review to be applied in assessing Kleypas' claims is well established: Factors to be considered in determining whether a confession is voluntary include: (1) the accused's mental condition; (2) the manner and duration of the interrogation; (3) the ability of the accused on request to communicate with the outside world; (4) the accused's age, intellect, and background; and (5) the fairness of the officers in conducting the investigation. See State v. Esquivel-Hernandez, 266 Kan. 821, 975 P.2d 254 (1999); State v. Speed, 265 Kan. 26, 34-35, 961 P.2d 13 (1998). Voluntariness of a confession is determined from the totality of the circumstances, and where a trial court conducts a full prehearing on the admissibility of extrajudicial statements by the accused, determines the statements were freely and voluntarily given, and admits the statements into evidence at trial, appellate courts accept that determination if supported by substantial competent evidence and do not attempt to reweigh the evidence. [Citation omitted.] State v. McCorkendale, 267 Kan. 263, 270-71, 979 P.2d 1239 (1999). The trial court's determination that Kleypas' statements were made freely and voluntarily is supported by substantial competent evidence. In making its decision, the trial court considered all factors relating to voluntariness as set forth by this court in Esquivel-Hernandez and Speed. The trial court's decision did not expressly address Kleypas' second allegation that the officers ignored his attempt to end the interrogation. However, we find no merit in this contention. Kleypas makes reference to his statement made during the ride from Missouri to Kansas, which was recorded. In his statement, Kleypas said: I think that might be all for you. He claims that this statement constituted an unambiguous assertion of his desire to end the interview. We disagree and conclude that the above statement, either standing alone or in context, was not an unambiguous assertion of a desire to end the interview. When a suspect makes a statement which may be ambiguous as to whether the suspect is asserting a right to remain silent, the interrogator may, but is not required to, ask questions to clarify and instead may continue questioning. [Citations omitted.] McCorkendale, 267 Kan. at 273. Kleypas did not unambiguously assert his right to remain silent, Michigan v. Mosley, 423 U.S. 96, 46 L. Ed.2d 313, 96 S. Ct. 321 (1975), and State v. Matson, 260 Kan. 366, 375, 921 P.2d 790 (1996), which would have required the officers to `scrupulously honor' that right and cease the interrogation, were not implicated. Instead, his statement was at best ambiguous, thus, permitting the officers to continue their questioning or make an attempt to clarify Kleypas' meaning. Finally, Kleypas claims that his statements made during the ride back to Kansas from Missouri should be struck because of misconduct on the part of the State. After the court's original ruling on the motion to suppress, the audiotape of the trip back was enhanced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The enhanced version included one of the officers in the car saying: Are we going to have to get out and walk? Kleypas filed a supplemental motion to suppress, arguing that this phrase constituted a threat that he would be forced to get out and walk if he did not confess. At the hearing, KBI Agent Williams could not recall making such a statement. Ultimately, Detective Hite recalled that he had made the statement in reference to the small amount of gas left in the car. The court held that the statement was not a threat. However, after the hearing, Agent Williams listened to the tape and at trial testified that he was the one who had made the statement. The State made no attempt to communicate this to defense counsel. Kleypas asserts that this misconduct on the part of the State should have been sanctioned by suppressing the confession. The trial court concluded with ample evidentiary support in the record that there was no coercive interrogation of the defendant and no purposefully false testimony by the State that would invalidate the defendant's statement. The record is devoid of evidence to suggest that there was bad faith or a deliberate withholding of the change in Agent Williams' testimony by the prosecution. The court ultimately instructed the jury that it could consider the State's failure to notify defense counsel of the change in testimony when determining the credibility of the witnesses. The findings of the trial court are supported in the record and there is no evidence to support exclusion of Kleypas' confession. We conclude that the court did not err in admitting Kleypas' confession. Issue 3. Validity of Search Warrant The trial court found that the search warrant was invalid and not cured by the affidavit in support of the warrant, but that the good faith exception applied and suppression of all the evidence uncovered was not warranted. Kleypas contends that the trial court erred in failing to suppress all of the items taken in the search of his residence. He argues that the search warrant was invalid because it failed to list the items to be seized, that this failure was not cured by the affidavit, and that the officers far exceeded the scope of the search, thus, rendering the good faith exception unavailable. The factual findings of the trial court are not in dispute. When the facts material to a decision of the court on a motion to suppress evidence are not in dispute, the question of whether to suppress becomes a question of law. [Citation omitted.] An appellate court's scope of review on questions of law is unlimited. State v. Anderson, 259 Kan. 16, 18, 910 P.2d 180 (1996). A search warrant was issued for Kleypas' residence at 117 W. Lindburg in Pittsburg. The affidavit in support of the search warrant specifically listed the items to be seized with particularity: [T]race evidence from the murder victim ... including but not limited to hair fiber of the [victim], fabric fiber from the clothing of the [victim], ... any trace evidence from the body, blood from the victim, [and] weapons used in the murder. However, the portion of the actual warrant which references the items to be seized was left blank. When officers at the scene noticed the blank portion of the warrant, Officer Rosebrough, the attesting officer, brought the supporting affidavit to 117 W. Lindburg. After the officers discussed the omission and reviewed the affidavit, they decided the warrant was valid because the supporting affidavit listed the items to be seized with particularity. The specific items were discussed so the officers would know exactly what to seize. Officer Rosebrough did not enter 117 W. Lindburg because of the adopted policy that anyone entering the crime scene at 113 W. Lindburg would not enter the one at 117 W. Lindburg to prevent crosscontamination. The officers found a crack pipe in a ceiling duct located in a public hallway outside the door to Kleypas' apartment. Upon entering the apartment, officers photographed the interior, then exited and sealed the apartment awaiting KBI lab analysts. KBI lab technicians entered the apartment later the same day, March 31, 1996, and recovered various items of potential evidence including alleged blood residue. Officers then reentered the apartment on April 3 to complete the search and specifically to seize the items listed on the affidavit. By this time, the officers were aware that Kleypas had given a statement claiming that he discarded the weapon. During the search, officers seized items specifically listed and items with apparent blood residue on them. Some items such as shoes and clothing were seized to determine if any blood residue or other trace evidence might be found. Other items such as the telephone answering machine with cassette and videotapes were seized to determine if they revealed any connection between Kleypas and C.W. The officers were aware at this time that C.W.'s caller ID showed a call from Kleypas' apartment on the night of the homicide. Officers also seized several boxes containing Kleypas' personal effects such as memorabilia, pictures of Kleypas and others, private papers, jewelry, and other mementos as revealed in the inventory. The trial court found these items were seized because they contained documentation verifying Kleypas as the occupant of the apartment. Though not all this paraphernalia proved identity, the officers did not individually examine every item prior to seizure; rather, if a box or packet contained items showing the identity of the occupant of the apartment, the officers seized the entire box or packet. The supervisor of the search team, KBI Agent Adams, believed all items seized had potential evidentiary value. Officers also found drugs and drug paraphernalia during the search. The trial court concluded that while an affidavit could be used to cure an insufficient description of the items to be seized in the search warrant, the affidavit must be referenced in the warrant to do so. The court also found that while the officers exceeded the scope of the items described in the affidavit, this conduct did not require the suppression of all the evidence seized. Rather, the trial court ordered that any items not contained in the affidavit be suppressed. Both the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and § 15 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights protect the rights of the people against unreasonable searches, and both provide that no [w]arrant[s] shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by [o]ath or affirmation, [and] particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or [property] to be seized. U.S. Const. amend. IV; Kan. Const. Bill of Rights, § 15. K.S.A. 22-2502(a) also requires a search warrant to particularly describe a person, place, or means of conveyance to be searched and things to be seized. The purpose of the constitutional requirement that search warrants particularly describe the place to be searched and the person or property to be seized is to prevent general searches and the seizure of items at the discretion of the officer executing the warrant. State v. LeFort, 248 Kan. 332, Syl. ¶ 1, 806 P.2d 986 (1991). `[I]t is constitutionally required that a search warrant shall particularly describe the place to be searched. Thus general or blanket warrants which give the executing officers a roving commission to search where they choose are forbidden.' (Emphasis added.) 248 Kan. at 335 (quoting State v. Gordon, 221 Kan. 253, 258, 559 P.2d 312 [1977]). This particularity requirement is equally applicable to the specificity in the items to be seized. See State v. Dye, 250 Kan. 287, 293, 826 P.2d 500 (1992). The question of whether an affidavit which does list the place to be searched or the items to be seized with particularity may be sufficient to cure an inadequate description in a search warrant has been answered in different ways by different jurisdictions and there is no real universal agreement. See U. S. v. Morris, 977 F.2d 677, 681 n.3 (1st Cir. 1992); U. S. v. George, 975 F.2d 72, 76 (2d Cir. 1992); United States v. Johnson, 690 F.2d 60, 64 (3d Cir. 1982); U. S. v. Gahagan, 865 F.2d 1490, 1496-98 (6th Cir. 1989); U. S. v. Tagbering, 985 F.2d 946, 950 (8th Cir. 1993); U. S. v. Towne, 997 F.2d 537, 548 (9th Cir. 1993); United States v. Wuagneux, 683 F.2d 1343, 1351 n.6 (11th Cir. 1982); U. S. v. Maxwell, 920 F.2d 1025, 1031-32 (D.C. Cir 1990); People v. Staton, 924 P.2d 127, 132 (Colo. 1996); State v. Balduc, 514 N.W.2d 607, 610 (Minn. App. 1994); State v. Stenson, 132 Wash.2d 668, 696, 940 P.2d 1239 (1997). In some cases, in order for an affidavit to cure a warrant which is defective for lack of specificity, the affidavit must be incorporated by reference in the warrant and present at the search. See Towne, 997 F.2d at 548; Morris, 977 F.2d at 681 n.3; Maxwell, 920 F.2d at 1031-32; Johnson, 690 F.2d at 64; Staton, 924 P.2d at 132; Balduc, 514 N.W.2d at 610. The court in Towne noted that this two-step rule serves two purposes. It assures that the affidavit actually limits the discretion of the officers executing the warrant and provides the person being searched of notice of the specific items the officer is entitled to seize. 997 F.2d at 548. In others, express incorporation is not necessary if the affidavit is available at the scene. See Gahagan, 865 F.2d at 1496-98; Tagbering, 985 F.2d at 950. See also Wuagneux, 683 F.2d at 1351 n.6 (affidavit sufficient if either incorporated by reference, attached, or present at the scene). In still others, the affidavit must be actually attached to the warrant and incorporated in it. See George, 975 F.2d at 76; Stenson, 132 Wash.2d at 696. In Kansas, we have held that an affidavit may cure an omission in the search warrant even though the affidavit is not attached to the warrant or present at the scene, when the affiant was one of the executing officers. See Dye, 250 Kan. at 294-95; LeFort, 248 Kan. at 341 (both cases involving a search warrant that did not sufficiently describe the property to be searched.) In LeFort, we stated: In determining whether the description given the executing officer in the warrant was sufficient, the initial examination is directed to the description stated in the warrant. However, if the description in the warrant is inadequate due to a technical irregularity, the focus then shifts to the description contained in the application or affidavit for the warrant if the officers were able to use that description to execute the search warrant. When the officer executing the search warrant is the affiant who described the property to be searched, and the judge finds there was probable cause to search the property described by the affiant and the search is confined to the area which the affiant described in the affidavit, the search does not affect the substantial rights of the accused and is in compliance with the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and Section Fifteen of the Kansas Bill of Rights. 248 Kan. at 341. In the case at hand, although the affiant, Officer Rosebrough, did not actually execute the search warrant, he was present at the scene with the affidavit and the officers who executed the search warrant were briefed on the affidavit so they would know what to seize. There is no appreciable difference between the situation in this case and those in LeFort and Dye. Indeed, the officers had more information in the case at hand because even though the affiant was not actually taking part in the search, he was at the scene along with the affidavit, which was not actually present in either LeFort or Dye. See Dye, 250 Kan. at 294. We, therefore, hold that where the affidavit contains a particularized description of the items to be seized; the affiant and the affidavit are both present at the scene of the execution of the search warrant, even if the affiant is not the person executing the search warrant; and the officers executing the search warrant are briefed as to the items listed in the affidavit, the description in the affidavit cures a deficiency in the description of the search warrant. The warrant was, therefore, valid, and the trial court erred in finding otherwise. The question remaining is whether the seizure of items outside the scope of the warrant requires suppression of all the evidence seized. When law enforcement officers grossly exceed the scope of a search warrant in seizing property, the particularity requirement is undermined and a valid warrant is transformed into a general warrant thereby requiring suppression of all evidence seized under that warrant. U.S. v. Medlin (Medlin II), 842 F.2d 1194, 1199 (10th Cir. 1988). See U.S. v. Foster, 100 F.3d 846, 849-50 (10th Cir. 1996). However, [a]n `[u]nlawful seizure of items outside a warrant does not alone render the whole search invalid and require suppression of all evidence seized, including that lawfully taken pursuant to the warrant.' [Citations omitted.] Gahagan, 865 F.2d at 1496. Unless there is a flagrant disregard for the terms of the warrant, only the improperly seized evidence, rather than all the evidence, need be suppressed. See Waller v. Georgia, 467 U.S. 39, 43 n.3, 81 L. Ed.2d 31, 104 S. Ct. 2210 (1984); United States v. Medlin (Medlin I), 798 F.2d 407, 411 (10th Cir. 1986); Wuagneux, 683 F.2d at 1354. After consideration of the evidence in this case, we agree with the trial court's suppression of only those items not mentioned in the affidavit. Although there were items seized outside the scope of the warrant, the officers' conduct did not evidence a flagrant disregard for its terms. Many of the items taken were taken because they identified Kleypas as the owner of the property or because they were in boxes with other items. However, there is no indication that the search rose to the level which the courts in Medlin II and Foster found to justify blanket suppression. See Medlin II, 842 F.2d at 1195-96 (667 items of property not identified in the warrant versus approximately 130 firearms seized in accordance with the warrant); Foster, 100 F.3d at 850 (officers admitted taking anything of value whether or not contained in the warrant). Under the facts of this case, blanket suppression was not warranted, and the trial court correctly suppressed only those items seized which were not identified in the search warrant. Issue 4. Validity of Arrest Warrant Crawford County Attorney Barry Disney based the warrant for Kleypas' arrest on the allegation of a rape that occurred in January 1994, rather than on the murder of C.W. Before the trial court and now on appeal, Kleypas claims that the affidavit in support of his arrest warrant omitted material matters and that the trial court erroneously relied on hearsay evidence at the suppression hearing. Thus, Kleypas claims that the arrest was illegal and that the trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress his statement and all other evidence derived from the arrest. In order to analyze this issue, it is necessary to set forth facts regarding the alleged 1994 rape. The victim, D.J., was Kleypas' live-in girlfriend. The police were dispatched to the apartment that D.J. shared with Kleypas where she claimed Kleypas held her hostage for an hour and a half, threatened her with a knife, and raped her by digital penetration. The officers taking the report noted that D.J. appeared to have been drinking and may have been intoxicated. The officers noted also that D.J. appeared somewhat confused about what had happened and might not be telling the true story. There was also some inconsistency in D.J.'s story regarding whether Kleypas had a knife. At the time, Disney declined to prosecute the rape. The affidavit filed by Disney in support of an arrest warrant based upon the 1994 incident provided: That on 1-23-94 Pittsburg Police received a call from a [D.J.]. Officer Joseph Head responded to [D.J.'s] location which was a residence just north of 1706 S. Pine. [D.J.] advised Head that her and her boyfriend, Gary W. Kleypas, had been to J.B.'s Bar & Grill in Pittsburg, Kansas. After leaving J.B.'s they went to the home they mutually shared located at 1706 S. Pine, Pittsburg, Kansas. [D.J.] advised that once at the home she and Kleypas began to argue. [D.J.] advised Head that Kleypas had `lost control' and held her hostage in the house for 1.5 hours. That during this 1.5 hours he had threatened her and had put his hands around her throat. [D.J.] further advised that Kleypas penetrated her rectum and vagina with his fingers. [D.J.] advised Head that she did not give Kleypas permission to put his finger in her rectum or vagina. After a full and complete hearing, the trial court issued its memorandum decision finding that Disney declined to prosecute the rape in 1994 because he believed the case would be difficult to win and not because there was insufficient probable cause to support charges. The trial court further found that the following factors involving a reevaluation of the case with additional information prompted the reversal of Disney's position: (1) Disney was advised by the Pittsburg Chief of Police that he should have filed the rape charge in 1994, (2) KBI Special Agent Delaney interviewed D.J. after Kleypas became a suspect in C.W.'s death and indicated that D.J. still maintained that Kleypas had raped her in 1994, and Delaney stated that she would not be a bad witness, (3) Delaney was able to clear up any confusion over whether Kleypas had a knife during the 1994 incident, (4) Kleypas was a suspect in both the 1994 rape and C.W.'s murder, which had apparent sexual overtones, and (5) Kleypas had been convicted and incarcerated in Missouri for a murder with sexual overtones. Where a defendant attacks the affidavit supporting an arrest warrant based on the omission of material information, he or she must show: (1) The omission was deliberate, and (2) the omission was material. An omission is material if the original affidavit together with the previously omitted information would not support a finding of probable cause. State v. Breazeale, 238 Kan. 714, 725, 714 P.2d 1356, cert. denied 479 U.S. 846 (1986). Probable cause exists if, under the totality of circumstances as set forth in the affidavit, a fair probability exists that a crime has been committed and that the defendant has committed it. 238 Kan. at 726. At trial, Kleypas submitted 15 alleged omissions. On appeal, he now relies upon the following three omissions from the affidavit which he contends cast doubt on the veracity of the victim's allegation of rape: (1) The victim had provided inconsistent statements as to whether a knife had been used, (2) the victim had been drinking and could have been intoxicated, and (3) the investigating officer had concluded that the victim appeared confused and might not be telling the truth. Our scope of review in regard to the alleged error is limited to determining whether substantial competent evidence supports the trial court's findings. Breazeale, 238 Kan. at 724. The trial court, in a well-reasoned opinion, specifically examined each alleged omission in the affidavit, outlined all the evidence relating to probable cause, and found that there was substantial competent evidence to support the issuance of the warrant even considering the omissions. The findings and conclusions of the trial court are amply supported by the record. Kleypas also contends that the trial court incorrectly relied on inadmissible hearsay at the hearing on the motion to suppress, specifically, Disney's testimony regarding Delaney's conversation with D.J. However, it is clear that the trial court relied on the evidence not to prove the truth of the matter asserted therein but to show its effect on Disney's decision to file the charges in 1996 that he had not filed in 1994. As such, the testimony was not hearsay. See K.S.A. 60-460. Under these circumstances, applying our standard of review, we affirm the trial court's denial of Kleypas' motion to suppress for lack of probable cause for the arrest warrant. Issue 5. The Trial Court's Failure to Suppress DNA Evidence Kleypas argues that the trial court erred in failing to suppress the State's evidence regarding DNA testing by the FBI where the prosecutor failed to inform the FBI of the court's order to exercise good faith in using only that portion of any item necessary for testing. Kleypas contends that because the FBI consumed all the material in its testing, suppression is warranted. The State sent numerous items to the FBI laboratory for DNA testing. Kleypas requested that the trial court allow him to also examine the evidence. The trial court, in response, made the following order: [T]he State can conduct testing of evidentiary objects that consumes those objects, however, there is no need to simply destroy items of evidence.... You are free to conduct whatever testing you deem appropriate. Now, I will ask, indeed, I will order the State to exercise good faith. Don't unduly consume an evidentiary item. Use that portion of the item that is necessary for testing but don't just arbitrarily consume something completely unless such is necessary for the testing. So don't go overboard I guess is what I'm saying. Of the items sent, one was a sock that had been tied around the victim's leg and another was a blue blanket recovered from beneath her body. The FBI totally consumed bloodstains from both items. At trial, the FBI serologist testified that there was a high statistical probability that Kleypas was the donor of the bloodstains found on the sock and blanket. Prior to trial, Kleypas filed a motion to bar the DNA evidence. During hearings on this motion, experts presented conflicting evidence regarding the necessity of consuming all the available material for DNA testing. The experts estimated the sample from the sock and blanket yielded 200 and 400 nanograms of material for testing respectively. Kleypas' witnesses, Dr. Dean Stetler, a professor of microbiology, Chair of Genetics, and Director of Undergraduate Biological Sciences, at the University of Kansas, and Dr. Susan Egan, assistant professor in the University of Kansas Department of Microbiology and Program of Genetics, testified that a minimum of 50 nanograms was required to perform a Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) test and only 250 picograms for the less specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. In Dr. Stetler's opinion, the FBI did not exercise good faith in attempting to preserve at least the minimum amount of material for independent testing by the defense. However, Dr. Stetler stated that 200 nanograms is often a target amount to assure more reliable results. In rebuttal, Dr. Thomas Callahan, the forensic examiner for the FBI, testified that as a matter of unwritten protocol in DNA testing, his laboratory uses 200 nanograms of matter. If the items come from a crime scene, however, the lab prefers to use 400 nanograms. Dr. Callahan testified that the State did not inform the FBI of the trial court's order to use good faith in any correspondence; however, the FBI consumed all the material from the items as a matter of routine procedure. When questioned, Dr. Callahan recalled a telephone conversation with prosecutor John Bork, asking that the FBI preserve some material if possible. However, Bork authorized the FBI to use all of the bloodstained material if necessary for its DNA testing. After objection, the trial court agreed to strike the telephone conversation and not consider it in the court's decision. In its memorandum decision, the trial court commented that the State should have clearly communicated the trial court's order to the FBI lab. The court stated, however, that the real issue before the court was whether the FBI itself exercised good faith in testing the material. The trial court noted that all the experts were in agreement that a minimum of 50 nanograms was required for DNA testing but that the accuracy of the results increase as greater quantities are used. The trial court found that the sample from the sock comprised approximately 200 nanograms and the sample from the blanket amounted to approximately 400 nanograms. The trial court further found that although the FBI consumed both items in the testing process, the FBI conducted its testing within its standard operating procedures. It was the FBI laboratory's procedure to load a minimum of 200 nanograms, and optimally, 400 nanograms. The fact that this practice is not written manual procedure did not concern the trial court as long as the testimony supported a finding that the FBI did not process this case any differently than any other case handled by the lab. Therefore, the trial court concluded that in light of the United States Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. Youngblood, 488 U.S. 51, 102 L. Ed.2d 281, 109 S. Ct. 333 (1988), and the trial court's own finding that the FBI followed routine procedure in its handling of the test items, Kleypas' motion to suppress should be denied. Nevertheless, the trial court was mindful of the State's failure to inform the FBI of the court's order to preserve a portion of the material if possible for independent testing. As this failure did not impact the propriety of the testing itself, the trial court found suppression was not appropriate. Instead, the trial court believed the jury should be instructed that it could consider the State's failure to affirmatively request the FBI to make a good faith attempt to preserve a portion of the sample in determining the weight to be given the DNA results. The trial court correctly applied Youngblood in resolving this issue. In Youngblood, the Arizona Court of Appeals reversed the defendant's conviction on child molestation, sexual assault, and kidnapping based on the State's failure to preserve semen samples from the victim's body and clothing. The United States Supreme Court reversed, finding the State's failure to preserve evidentiary material, absent a showing of bad faith, was not a violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court stated: The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as interpreted in Brady [v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)], makes the good or bad faith of the State irrelevant when the State fails to disclose to the defendant material exculpatory evidence. But we think the Due Process Clause requires a different result when we deal with the failure of the State to preserve evidentiary material of which no more can be said than that it could have been subjected to tests, the results of which might have exonerated the defendant.... We think that requiring a defendant to show bad faith on the part of the police both limits the extent of the police's obligation to preserve evidence to reasonable bounds and confines it to that class of cases where the interests of justice most clearly require it, i.e., those cases in which the police themselves by their conduct indicate that the evidence could form a basis for exonerating the defendant. We therefore hold that unless a criminal defendant can show bad faith on the part of the police, failure to preserve potentially useful evidence does not constitute a denial of due process of law. 488 U.S. at 57-58. In Youngblood, the Court found the failure of the police to refrigerate the victim's clothing and to perform tests on semen samples was, at worst, negligence. The Court noted that none of this information was concealed from the defense and that the evidence, such as it was, was made available to the defense. As a result, the Court concluded there was no showing of bad faith. 488 U.S. at 58. When reviewing a trial court's decision as to the suppression of evidence, an appellate court normally gives great deference to the factual findings of the trial court. The ultimate determination of the suppression of the evidence is a legal question requiring independent appellate determination. State v. Vandiver, 257 Kan. 53, 58, 891 P.2d 350 (1995). The question of whether the State acted in bad faith is a question of fact. State v. Lamae, 268 Kan. 544, 551, 998 P.2d 106 (2000). Kleypas does not contest the trial court's finding that the FBI acted in good faith. Rather, he directs fault at the State for the FBI's failure to preserve material for independent DNA analysis. Despite Kleypas' attempt to focus solely on the State's conduct, the FBI's good faith was relevant to the trial court's decision. The trial court clearly considered the State's failure to inform the FBI as part of the circumstances surrounding the DNA testing but found it insufficient to require suppression. This decision is supported by substantial competent evidence. Based on the United States Supreme Court's decision in Youngblood and the facts of this case, we hold that the trial court did not err in failing to suppress the DNA evidence. Issue 6. The Felony-Murder Jury Instruction The trial court gave an instruction on felony murder as a lesser included offense of capital murder. Kleypas contends that the trial court erred, however, in refusing to instruct the jury that a felony murder could occur in the flight from an inherently dangerous felony. K.S.A. 21-3401(b) defines felony murder as the killing of a human being committed in the commission of, attempt to commit, or flight from an inherently dangerous felony as defined in K.S.A. 21-3436 and amendments thereto. The instruction given by the trial court omitted the term flight from because the trial court found that there was no evidence to support it. Kleypas contends that the jury could have determined that he killed C.W. during his flight from an inherently dangerous felony and that the trial court's refusal to include the term flight from violated his Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial. A criminal defendant has a right to an instruction on all lesser included offenses supported by the evidence as long as: (1) the evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant's theory, would justify a jury verdict in accord with that theory and (2) the evidence at trial does not exclude a theory of guilt on the lesser offense. State v. Williams, 268 Kan. 1, 15, 988 P.2d 722 (1999). An instruction on a lesser included offense is not proper if from the evidence the jury could not reasonably convict of the lesser offense. State v. Robinson, 261 Kan. 865, 883, 934 P.2d 38 (1997). Kleypas argues that he was entitled to the flight from part of the instruction because there was evidence that he committed the murder to facilitate flight and that the State sought the death penalty based on an aggravating factor which involved flight. He contends that the State's reliance on the aggravating factor that [t]he defendant committed the crime in order to avoid or prevent a lawful arrest or prosecution mandates the flight from instruction. See K.S.A. 21-4625(5). In State v. Purnell, 126 N.J. 518, 533-34, 601 A.2d 175 (1992), the New Jersey Supreme Court held that where a separate offense encompassed by the aggravating factor is, in itself, a basis for an alternative form of murder that is noncapital, a defendant is constitutionally entitled to have that alternative offered for jury deliberation in the guilt phase. However, neither of these arguments requires the requested instruction. The terms in the commission of, attempt to commit, and flight from, as used in the felony-murder statute, are temporal requirements delineating when a killing may occur and still be part of the underlying felony. See State v. Hearron, 228 Kan. 693, 694-96, 619 P.2d 1157 (1980). That a murder was committed to facilitate escape or to avoid or prevent arrest or prosecution are matters of intent and, as such, are fundamentally different from the flight from requirement for felony murder. A murder may be committed in order to facilitate escape or to avoid or prevent an arrest or prosecution and still not occur during the flight from the crime. Similarly, a murder may occur during the flight from the crime but not have as its purpose the facilitation of escape or the avoidance or prevention of arrest or prosecution. The need for an instruction is instead based on the evidence in each particular case. In the case at hand, there was no evidence from which a jury could reasonably have convicted Kleypas of felony murder based on the theory that the killing occurred during the flight from an inherently dangerous felony. In order to require such an instruction, there must be evidence that the killing occurred during flight from the scene of the felony. There was no such evidence in this case, and the trial court's instruction was correct. Kleypas also contends that trial court erred by not defining the phrase in the commission of in the felony-murder instruction. He argues that the court should have defined the term commission to make it clear to the jury that a killing which occurred subsequent to the underlying felony could still be considered felony murder. He argues that such an instruction was necessary in light of the jury instruction on capital murder that used the terminology in the commission of or subsequent to the underlying offense. Kleypas admits that he failed to request such an instruction. We have held: No party may assign as error the giving or failure to give an instruction unless he or she objects thereto before the jury retires to consider its verdict, stating distinctly the matter to which he or she objects and the grounds of his or her objection, unless the instruction or the failure to give the instruction is clearly erroneous. Instructions are clearly erroneous only if the reviewing court is firmly convinced that there is a real possibility the jury would have rendered a different verdict if the trial error had not occurred. State v. Cravatt, 267 Kan. 314, Syl. ¶ 1, 979 P.2d 679 (1999). Despite Kleypas' contention, we conclude that the instruction as given properly stated the law and that the jury could not have been misled by the failure to define the term commission. When reviewing challenges to jury instructions, the instructions are to be considered together and read as a whole without isolating any one instruction. If the instructions properly and fairly state the law as applied to the facts in the case, and if the jury could not reasonably have been misled by them, then the instructions do not constitute reversible error although they may be in some small way erroneous. State v. Aikins, 261 Kan. 346, Syl. ¶ 25, 932 P.2d 408 (1997). Therefore, we conclude that the instruction given was not clearly erroneous.