Opinion ID: 2549552
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Issue 4: Was the evidence sufficient to support convictions for theft and felony murder?

Text: Kunellis next argues the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions for theft and the accompanying felony murders and the district court was wrong to deny his motions for judgment of acquittal on the latter. As a result, he argues reversal  without remand because of faulty jury instructions  is required. We disagree. Our standard of review is well known: When the sufficiency of the evidence is challenged in a criminal case, the standard of review is whether, after review of all the evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the appellate court is convinced that a rational factfinder could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Johnson, 266 Kan. 322, Syl. ¶ 1, 970 P.2d 990 (1998). As stated earlier, Kunellis essentially admitted committing the elements comprising the crime of theft through obtaining unauthorized control. See K.S.A. 21-3701. His argument regarding theft therefore has no merit. Regarding the felony murders, Kunellis argues that the inherently dangerous felony crime of theft had been completed well before the deaths occurred. As a result, he contends the killings were not committed in the commission of the crime and the felony murders cannot be supported on that basis. See K.S.A. 21-3401(b) (felony murder is the killing of a human being committed in the commission of, attempt to commit, or flight from an inherently dangerous felony). As stated previously, we agree. He further argues that the evidence was insufficient to establish he was in flight from the theft at the time the killings occurred and that the felony murders cannot be supported on that basis either. We disagree. See K.S.A. 21-3401(b). We have stated that time, distance, and the causal relationship between the underlying felony and a killing are factors to be considered in determining whether the killing occurs during the commission of or flight from the underlying felony and, therefore, subject to the felony-murder rule. State v. Sophophone, 270 Kan. 703, 711, 19 P.3d 70 (2001); State v. Kaesontae, 260 Kan. 386, 390, 920 P.2d 959 (1996). The question of whether the flight had terminated prior to the killing so as to remove it from the ambit of the felony-murder rule is, like the question of whether the underlying felony had been abandoned or completed, ordinarily one of fact for the jury. The evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the State, was as follows: The Feuerborns arrived at the dealership while the stolen truck containing the recently stolen motorcycles was still there. The truck quickly left, by inference in reaction to the Feuerborns' arrival. Shortly afterward, Feuerborn's wife noticed the dealership's front window had been smashed so Feuerborn immediately called 911. He informed the police at 10:58 p.m. of the truck's description, location, and direction of travel and began to drive in the same direction of the departed truck in an apparent effort to track it. At 11 p.m. the Feuerborns regained sight of the truck and informed the police it was about to enter northbound I-35. At 11:04 p.m., Officer Allen called for assistance and reported he was following the truck northbound at 119th and I-35. Once Allen was joined in the pursuit by Lenexa Police Officer Trevino at 11:07 p.m., he activated his emergency lights at about 97th Street and attempted to stop the truck. In reaction to the officer's lights, Ben exited northbound I-35 at 87th Street and entered southbound 69 Highway. He deliberately traveled against traffic for the purpose of discouraging his law enforcement pursuers. The truck then collided with the Toyota Camry. Officer Allen called in the accident at 11:11 p.m., 13 minutes after the Feuerborns had first called 911 to report the apparent break-in. Based upon this view of the facts, we are convinced that a rational factfinder could have found Kunellis guilty of felony murder beyond a reasonable doubt, i.e., that the deaths occurred during the flight from the theft. Kunellis claims the State committed further misconduct and the trial court additional error. These claims could now be disregarded because of our reversal and remand on previously noted grounds. We address them below, however, to supply guidance because they could arise in a retrial. See State v. Carter, 270 Kan. 426, 441, 14 P.3d 1138 (2000).