Opinion ID: 2222135
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: directed verdict on felony murder

Text: For his second assignment of error, Cook asserts that the district court erred in denying his motion for a directed verdict on a portion of the State's charges against him. In particular, Cook argues that the evidence with respect to sexual assault as a predicate for felony murder was not sufficient to establish that sexual penetration was without consent. We conclude that the evidence was sufficient to submit the charges to the jury and that therefore, the district court did not err in overruling Cook's motion for directed verdict. Cook argues that the district court should have directed a verdict on the felony murder theory of first degree murder because the State failed to put on evidence that Cook's sexual intercourse with Stahlecker was without consent. The State argues that there was sufficient evidence to support submitting an instruction on felony murder based on sexual assault to the jury and notes evidence that Cook had numerous scrapes on his arms and hands and that in addition to the gunshot wounds, Stahlecker had numerous injuries, some defensive, on her hands, arms, legs, and toes. The State also notes that Cook gave differing stories as to how he received his wounds. He told Jeanette that he sustained the injuries in a fight but told her to tell others that he sustained the injuries in a fall from his mountain bike. Further, Cook testified at trial that he sustained the injuries when he tripped over a median on Highway 275 while fleeing from Hornbacher. The State argues that the wounds to both Cook and Stahlecker and Cook's attempts to cover up the cause of his injuries could lead a jury to infer that there was a struggle between Cook and Stahlecker and a sexual assault. In a criminal case, a court can direct a verdict only when there is a complete failure of evidence to establish an essential element of the crime charged or the evidence is so doubtful in character, lacking probative value, that a finding of guilt based on such evidence cannot be sustained. State v. Segura, 265 Neb. 903, 660 N.W.2d 512 (2003). If there is any evidence which will sustain a finding for the party against whom a motion for directed verdict is made, the case may not be decided as a matter of law, and a verdict may not be directed. Id. We conclude that the evidence in the present case was sufficient to prevent a directed verdict on the felony murder charge. The evidence noted by the State with respect to the element that sexual penetration be without consent was sufficient to support a jury finding that sexual intercourse was without consent and was instead a product of sexual assault, thus precluding a directed verdict. The jury could reasonably infer that the injuries indicated that the sexual intercourse between Cook and Stahlecker was without Stahlecker's consent. There was not a complete failure of evidence to establish the underlying felony of sexual assault as an element of felony murder, and the jury could reasonably have found Cook guilty of first degree murder under a felony murder theory. The district court therefore did not err in rejecting Cook's motion for directed verdict, and we reject Cook's second assignment of error.