Opinion ID: 2817272
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admissible evidence against Ms. Sharp

Text: Until Detective Wheeles promised Ms. Sharp would not go to jail, all of her statements were voluntary and admissible. And up to that point, Ms. Sharp had already described many details of the crime. She had described witnessing Mr. Hollingsworth and Mr. Baker hog-tie and beat Mr. Owen, and then drag him into the woods. She had explained Mr. Cornell had burned Mr. Owen’s belongings, including his phone, notebooks, wallet, glasses, shoes, and socks. Each of these statements indicated she had only witnessed and had not participated in the attack on Mr. Owen. She did, however, implicate herself by confessing to a minor participatory role by saying she “helped burn” Mr. Owen’s belongings. Mr. Cornell testified for the prosecution. He had been charged with felony murder and kidnapping for his role in Mr. Owen’s death, but he pled guilty to lesser charges— involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping—in exchange for his testimony. According to his account, Ms. Sharp threw Mr. Owen’s belongings into an incinerator before Mr. Owen was tied and beaten. He explained Ms. Sharp was angry with Mr. Owen for - 34 - destroying homeless camp sites, and she yelled at Mr. Owen, “How do you like someone destroying your stuff?” State App. Vol. IX at 53. Mr. Cornell testified that after he gave Mr. Hollingsworth the rope used to hog-tie Mr. Owen, Ms. Sharp said, “[w]e’re not gonna kill him, we’re going to tie him up,” id. at 64, and “we’re gonna make [Mr. Owen] sleep out, tie him to a tree, make him sleep out with the mosquitos, show him how it feels to sleep outside without a tent or blankets,” id. at 62. Mr. Cornell also testified Ms. Sharp asked him to dump the incinerator in a nearby camp. On cross-examination, Mr. Cornell conceded his trial testimony conflicted with his prior statements to the police in which he denied having any role in Mr. Owen’s death. For example, Mr. Cornell initially told the police he had not participated in tying up Mr. Owen. He instead told them Mr. Owen was already tied up when Mr. Cornell first walked into the camp site. He also had attempted to minimize his role in helping burn Mr. Owen’s belongings. At first he claimed he did not help burn. He then admitted to helping burn but claimed Ms. Sharp was already burning Mr. Owen’s belongings when Mr. Cornell first walked into the camp site. At trial he testified he arrived at the camp site before any of Mr. Owen’s belongings were burned. Mr. Cornell also testified that he expected a lighter sentence because he was testifying for the prosecution.