Opinion ID: 891710
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficient Evidence Was Presented at Trial to Support the Jury's Felony Murder and Tampering with Evidence Verdicts.

Text: {4} Defendant contends that the felony murder and tampering with evidence convictions fail for lack of evidence. Regarding the felony murder count, he argues that the relevant witness testimony at trial was not credible and cannot support the conviction. As for the tampering count, Defendant challenges the conviction on the basis that his repeated attempts to have others conceal evidence (the murder weapon) failed, and therefore only a charge of attempted tampering with evidence is viable. {5} Because an appellate tribunal does not enjoy the same exposure to the evidence and witnesses as the jury at trial, our review for sufficiency of the evidence is deferential to the jury's findings. See State ex rel. Moreno v. Floyd, 85 N.M. 699, 703, 516 P.2d 670, 674 (1973). We review whether substantial evidence of either a direct or circumstantial nature exists to support a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt with respect to every element essential to a conviction. State v. Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 5, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the guilty verdict, indulging all reasonable inferences and resolving all conflicts in the evidence in favor of the verdict. Id. (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). In particular, New Mexico appellate courts will not invade the jury's province as fact-finder by second-guess[ing] the jury's decision concerning the credibility of witnesses, reweigh[ing] the evidence, or substitut[ing] its judgment for that of the jury. State v. Lucero, 118 N.M. 696, 699, 884 P.2d 1175, 1178 (Ct.App.1994). So long as `a rational jury could have found beyond a reasonable doubt the essential facts required for a conviction,' we will not upset a jury's conclusions. Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 5, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515 (quoting State v. Garcia, 114 N.M. 269, 274, 837 P.2d 862, 867 (1992)).
{6} Defendant urges this Court to reject the eyewitness testimony pertinent to the felony murder charge as inherently unbelievable. Defendant contends that each witness harbored reasons to provide false or misleading testimony, and therefore the testimony fails to meet a minimal standard of truthfulness. Defendant argues that New Mexico law permits this Court to override a jury's witness credibility determinations when multiple witnesses fail to meet any test of truth. See State v. Armijo, 35 N.M. 533, 543, 2 P.2d 1075, 1080 (1931) (holding that the inherently improbable, uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice was insufficient to support a conspiracy conviction). We disagree and hold that the jury was presented with substantial evidence of the essential facts required for [the felony murder] conviction. Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 5, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). {7} To prove felony murder, the State must establish that a predicate, inherently dangerous felony was committed; the defendant caused the death while committing the predicate felony; and the defendant either intended to kill the victim or knew his actions created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm. UJI 14-202 NMRA. At Defendant's trial, the jury was instructed on the felony murder count as follows: 1. The defendant, Jose P. Garcia, committed the crime of Armed Robbery; 2. Jose P. Garcia caused the death of Jeff Armstrong during the commission of or the attempt to commit armed robbery; 3. Jose P. Garcia intended to kill or knew that his acts created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm; 4. This happened in Sandoval County, New Mexico on or about the 30th day of May, 2005. {8} At trial, a great deal of direct and circumstantial evidence was presented to support the felony murder charge. Despite Defendant's claims to the contrary, numerous witnesses testified that Defendant was present at the party. Multiple witnesses also testified that Defendant visited Armstrong's apartment on at least two occasions while the party was underway. The party's host, Sarita Duran, testified that she and Defendant made an initial visit to Armstrong's where the two successfully obtained a small amount of marijuana. When that supply of marijuana was exhausted, Henry Yerena and Louis Ramirez who were at the party, testified that Defendant gestured to a screwdriver tucked in his waistband, stated that he was going to jack the fool, and returned to Armstrong's apartment. {9} Edgardo Collins also went to Armstrong's apartment to obtain marijuana. Duran testified that the two men went to Armstrong's apartment together, while Collins contended that he followed Defendant there after Defendant left the party. Upon entering the apartment, Collins testified that he saw Defendant punching Armstrong and holding the screwdriver against Armstrong's neck. Collins watched as Armstrong attempted to reach for a gun concealed under the cushions of the couch where he was seated, but Defendant retrieved the gun first. Collins testified that Defendant put the gun to Armstrong's head and pulled the trigger. When the weapon failed to fire, Defendant pulled the trigger a second time and shot and killed Armstrong. {10} After the shot was fired, Duran, Yerena, and Collins testified that Defendant and Collins ran back into Duran's apartment. Duran and Yerena testified that Defendant entered the apartment with the gun in his hand. According to testimony from Duran and Collins, Defendant twice asked Duran to hide the gun, but she refused. Louis Ramirez testified that later, while at the home of Gabriel Moreno, Defendant was showing off the gun and stated that he had taken the gun from Armstrong and blasted him. Defendant then tried unsuccessfully to sell the gun to Ramirez and separately to Moreno. {11} Sufficient evidence was presented to permit a reasonable jury to find all the elements of a felony murder conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. Multiple witnesses provided testimony regarding events before, during, and after the Armstrong murder that supported the jury's verdicts. This testimony was only controverted by Defendant's statements to police taken soon after Armstrong's murder. Collins provided direct evidence of the murder and armed robbery. While the defense attempted to establish Collins' motive to lie, the testimony of other witnesses supported and was consistent with his account of events. Most compelling in this respect was the testimony proffered by multiple witnesses that (1) Defendant intended to rob the victim; (2) Defendant possessed the gun immediately after the shooting; and (3) Defendant repeatedly endeavored to get rid of the gun after Armstrong's death. The testimony adduced at trial stands in marked contrast to Armijo, the case relied upon by the defense, where this Court reversed a conspiracy conviction based upon the inherently improbable, uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice who earlier had declared that the defendant was innocent. 35 N.M. at 542, 2 P.2d at 1080 (opinion of court on rehearing). Accordingly, it was well within the jury's fact-finding function to conclude that the testimony adduced at trial was both credible and sufficient, supporting the finding that Defendant committed the predicate offense of armed robbery and then intentionally killed Armstrong during the course of the robbery. As a result, we leave the jury's determinations of credibility intact and decline to grant Defendant's request to reverse his felony murder conviction due to insufficient evidence.
{12} Defendant also argues that there was insufficient evidence adduced at trial to support his tampering with evidence conviction. The tampering with evidence charge arose from Defendant's efforts to conceal the weapon used in the Armstrong homicide. Defendant contends that because his multiple efforts to conceal the weapon failed and the weapon was never recovered, the State cannot meet its burden of proof. However, we construe Defendant's extensive efforts to rid himself of the murder weapon as sufficient evidence to support the jury's findings. {13} Under New Mexico law, the elements of tampering with evidence are (1) destroying, changing, hiding, placing or fabricating any physical evidence, and (2) with intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of any person or to throw suspicion of the commission of a crime upon another. Section 30-22-5(A). When there is no other evidence of the specific intent . . . to disrupt the police investigation, intent is often inferred from an overt act of the defendant. Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 14, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515. Where there is no direct evidence of an intent to undermine law enforcement activities, and no overt act permitting an inference of such intent, the evidence cannot support a tampering conviction. Compare State v. Silva, 2008-NMSC-051, ¶¶ 18-19, 144 N.M. 815, 192 P.3d 1192 (holding that the State failed to meet its burden where it effectively asked the jury to speculate that an overt act of . . . hiding [the murder weapon] had taken place, based solely on the fact that such evidence was never found (alteration in original) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)), with State v. Arellano, 91 N.M. 195, 197, 572 P.2d 223, 225 (Ct.App.1977) (affirming tampering conviction where the defendant committed the overt act of giving his brother a loaded gun used in a homicide and instructed brother to `hold it for him'). Importantly, when a tampering conviction is based on concealing evidence, conviction is not predicated on actual recovery of the evidence. See State v. Johnson, 2004-NMSC-029, ¶¶ 3, 54, 136 N.M. 348, 98 P.3d 998. {14} In this case, Defendant perpetrated a sequence of overt acts in an effort to both rid himself of the firearm and conceal it from the police, permitting a rational jury to find both elements of Section 30-22-5(A) beyond a reasonable doubt. The trial transcript is littered with evidence of multiple acts committed by Defendant in an effort to thwart law enforcement efforts by concealing or transferring possession of the gun. As we have already discussed, these acts included two attempts to sell the gun to acquaintances and two attempts to give the gun to another acquaintance, urging that it be hidden. Ultimately, law enforcement was unable to recover the gun. The jury could reasonably infer from these facts that Defendant ultimately achieved his objective of disposing of the gun. His multiple overt acts made clear his intent to thwart law enforcement by jettisoning key evidence. Defendant's conviction for tampering with evidence is affirmed.