Opinion ID: 1642921
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: admission of photograph of deceased.

Text: ¶ 57. The State introduced a photograph of the deceased, Ella Mae Spears, taken shortly before her death, during the testimony of her niece, Guy Alice Spears Green. Defense counsel objected on the grounds of relevance and the State's attempt to engender sympathy. The objection was overruled. Knox did not raise the admission of the photograph as an issue on direct appeal. ¶ 58. Knox now argues that the photograph was irrelevant and was meant only to inflame the jury. Knox cites several cases from other jurisdictions where this was found to be reversible error. Knox cites Coleman v. State, 218 Miss. 246, 67 So.2d 304 (1953), where Coleman killed the marshal of the Town of Doddsville while the marshal was attempting to run Coleman out of town. This Court found that the conviction of murder was improper, and the jury should have been instructed on the issue of manslaughter, as Coleman was resisting the marshal's unlawful act at the time Coleman killed him. This Court further found that admission of the marshal's photograph was erroneous because of lack of relevance. ¶ 59. The State argues that this issue was not raised on direct appeal and is procedurally barred under Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-21(1). As to the merits, the State cites Edwards v. State, 737 So.2d 275 (Miss.1999), where this Court found that photographs of two deceased victims, taken before their deaths, were admissible. This issue is without merit.