Opinion ID: 1738638
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: issues three and six

Text: In his third and sixth claims, Bowles contends that the trial court erred in finding certain aggravating circumstances. In reviewing the trial court's finding of an aggravating circumstance, it is not this Court's function to reweigh the evidence to determine whether the State proved each aggravating circumstance beyond a reasonable doubt. This is the trial court's job. See Willacy v. State, 696 So.2d 693, 695-96 (Fla.1997). Rather, this Court reviews the record to determine whether the trial court applied the correct rule of law for each applicable aggravator and, if so, whether such finding is supported by competent, substantial evidence. See id.
In his third claim, Bowles argues that the trial court erred in finding the HAC aggravator because the victim could not have had foreknowledge of his impending death. The trial court stated in its sentencing order: While Mr. Hinton [the victim] was sleeping, the Defendant [Bowles] went outside the mobile home and lifted from the ground a 40-pound cement stepping stone and brought it inside. He placed the stepping stone on a table in the living room area, sat down and thought for a few moments. He then entered Mr. Hinton's bedroom and dropped the cement stepping stone on Mr. Hinton's face. Mr. Hinton sustained a skull fracture across his cheek to the roots of his teeth. Despite the force of this blow, Mr. Hinton did not die nor lose complete consciousness. In an effort to save his life, Mr. Hinton struggled with the Defendant. The Medical Examiner observed on Mr. Hinton's body five (5) broken ribs, abrasions to the front and back of his right forearm, and more abrasions on the outside of his left knee. These findings corroborate the Defendant's statement that Mr. Hinton continued to struggle for his life after the Defendant dropped the 40-pound stone on his face. The findings of the Medical Examiner also corroborate the Defendant's statement that he then choked Mr. Hinton with his hands. Mr. Hinton had hemorrhaging on the right side of his neck. The helix bone, a U shaped bone found at the top of the neck, and the hyoid bone located underneath his Adam's Apple were fractured. Toilet paper was stuffed down his throat and a rag was placed over the paper which protruded from his mouth. The Medical Examiner logically assumed that Mr. Hinton was strangled to death or to unconsciousness and these items were then stuffed down his throat blocking his airway and resulting in his death. The Defendant argues in his Memorandum that although the intensity of the struggle was great and resulted in suffering by Mr. Hinton, there is no evidence that the Defendant intended to do anything but to kill by whatever means were at hand. He further argues that he did not set out to strangle, choke, or beat Mr. Hinton to death. Lastly, he argues that he was intoxicated, which he suggests negates the finding that he intended to cause pain. The Court finds that Mr. Bowles was, as he argues, prepared to take the life of Walter Hinton by any means available. Although this Court cannot determine if Mr. Bowles enjoyed the suffering of Walter Hinton, he was certainly indifferent and determined to take his life. Since the Defendant could not have known with certainty whether crushing Walter Hinton's face with a 40 pound stepping stone would take his life, he was prepared to inflict further suffering. This is just what he had been prepared to do only months earlier when he took the life of Mr. Roberts in Volusia County. Finally, the fact that Mr. Hinton was likely unconscious when the toilet paper and rag were stuffed down his throat, does not bar a finding that the Defendant's conduct was [conscienceless], pitiless heinous, atrocious and cruel. Without a struggle, the Defendant's efforts to strangle Mr. Hinton would have, according to the medical examiner, taken at least 30 to 45 seconds before a loss of consciousness. With a struggle, Mr. Hinton would have endured the fright, pain and fear of being strangled for an even longer period. State v. Bowles, No. 94-12188-CF, sentencing order at 5-7 (Fla. 4th Cir. Ct. order filed Sept. 7, 1999) (emphasis added). In Rogers v. State, 783 So.2d 980, 994 (Fla.2001), we recently stated that: In order for the HAC aggravating circumstance to apply, the murder must be conscienceless or pitiless and unnecessarily tortuous [sic] to the victim. A finding of HAC is appropriate only when a murder evinces extreme and outrageous depravity as exemplified either by the desire to inflict a high degree of pain or utter indifference to or enjoyment of the suffering of another. (Citation omitted.) Strangulation of a conscious murder victim evinces that the victim suffered through the extreme anxiety of impending death as well as the perpetrator's utter indifference to such torture. Accordingly, this Court has consistently upheld the HAC aggravator in cases where a conscious victim was strangled. See Mansfield v. State, 758 So.2d 636, 645 (Fla.2000), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 998, 121 S.Ct. 1663, 149 L.Ed.2d 644 (2001); Hildwin v. State, 727 So.2d 193, 196 (Fla.1998); Orme v. State, 677 So.2d 258, 263 (Fla. 1996). In light of the evidence of a great struggle and the medical examiner's testimony, we find that competent, substantial evidence in the record supports the trial court's finding that the victim was strangled while conscious for a time sufficient to suffer a physically and mentally cruel and torturous death. See Mansfield, 758 So.2d at 645. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court's finding of HAC.
Bowles' sixth claim is that the trial court erred in finding the robbery-pecuniary gain aggravator. In its sentencing order, the trial court further stated: Mr. Hinton was found inside his locked home on November 22, 1994. His sister and her then fiancé became concerned when he failed to respond to telephone calls and knocks on his door. After several days went by without word form Mr. Hinton, the fiancé broke into his locked mobile home and found his dead body wrapped in sheets and bedspreads. Mr. Hinton's watch, car keys, automobile and stereo equipment were missing form the home. Stereo wires had been cut. A knife was on the floor next to where the stereo equipment had formerly been. His wallet was found on the floor next to the bed. The Defendant was seen after the murder driving Mr. Hinton's car and wearing his watch. Although the Defendant admits that property of Mr. Hinton was taken, he submits that it was an afterthought and not the motivation for the murder. He suggests that his subsequent abandonment of the automobile and watch proves that he was not motivated by pecuniary gain. However, his prior statements prove otherwise. In his statements to Agent Dennis Reegan of the FBI, the Defendant stated he expected to find money on the victim or in the trailer. When he didn't find any, he felt stuck and unable to flee because he had no money and no other place to go. This evidence establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that the murder was committed in the course of an attempted robbery or robbery. The fact that money was not there to be taken does not preclude the finding of this aggravating circumstance. . . . . [The] aggravating factor [that Bowles committed the murder for financial gain] was proved beyond a reasonable doubt, but merges with the above aggravating factor and has been treated as one by the Court. State v. Bowles, sentencing order at 4-5. Bowles argues that the taking of Hinton's property was an afterthought and that such a taking shortly after the murder, without any other evidence showing that pecuniary gain was the motive for the killing, provides insufficient evidence that the robbery-pecuniary gain aggravator applies. In support of his afterthought argument Bowles cites to Elam v. State, 636 So.2d 1312 (Fla.1994), and Hill v. State, 549 So.2d 179, 182-83 (Fla.1989). In Beasley v. State, 774 So.2d 649, 662 (Fla.2000), we recently opined: Where an afterthought argument is raised, the defendant's theory is carefully analyzed in light of the entire circumstances of the incident. If there is competent, substantial evidence to uphold the robbery conviction, and no other motive for the murder appears from the record, the robbery conviction will be upheld. Conversely, in those cases where the record discloses that, in committing the murder, the defendant was apparently motivated by some reason other than a desire to obtain the stolen valuable, a conviction for robbery (or the robbery aggravator) will not be upheld. (Citations omitted.) As in Beasley, the present case is distinguishable from cases in which there is another apparent motivation for the killing, and no indication that the defendant wants or needs the valuables which are taken after the murder. Id. at 666. In Elam, we held there was insufficient evidence to support the pecuniary gain aggravator where the defendant, who managed the victim's motorcycle parts store, killed the victim in a fight that erupted after the defendant was accused of misappropriating store funds. See Elam, 636 So.2d at 1314. The facts of Elam indicated that although the fight began over the missing funds, the theft had long been completed and the murder was not committed to facilitate it. Id. In Hill, we struck the pecuniary gain aggravator where the evidence indicated that the murder could have been motivated by defendant's desire to rape and beat the victim. See Hill, 549 So.2d at 181, 183. In contrast, in the present case, there is no other apparent motivation for this murder other than as part of a taking of the victim's property for Bowles' pecuniary gain. When Hinton was discovered, his watch and stereo equipment were missing, and his wallet was found on the floor next to the bed. Two days after the murder, Bowles was seen driving Hinton's car and wearing Hinton's watch. Furthermore, Bowles confessed to taking Hinton's car. We find this case very similar on this issue to Finney v. State, 660 So.2d 674, 680 (Fla.1995), in which we upheld the robbery-pecuniary gain aggravator. See also Jones v. State, 652 So.2d 346, 350 (Fla. 1995) (rejecting afterthought argument as applied to valuables taken from victims where no other motivation for murders appeared from record). The trial court's finding of the robbery-pecuniary gain aggravator is supported by competent, substantial evidence.