Opinion ID: 1747473
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Evidence Relied on by the State

Text: A brief discussion of the evidence relied upon by the State is required before I go further. According to the record, Shannon was last seen alive with Howard. On this record that is true, and provides some inference of proximity and time. However, there is nothing in the record about the individual or individuals who met with Brian at the Howard farm about this same time and who likely had been at the Day home on several occasions prior to that night. Howard had and disposed of Shannon's purse. That raises an inference similar to the one above. His disposal could mean he wanted to dispose of evidence that he had murdered her or that he did not want to be caught with the purse given that someone else had killed her. There was also the money Howard was supposed to be expecting. The evidence was that Howard was to receive $4,500.00 from the deal. Qualls testified Howard gave her $200.00 the next day after the murder, and that he did put some money back in his pocket, but that he did not have a wad of money. It raises but a weak inference if any. The boots offered into evidence were found several feet from the side of the road and in an open area. Blood on the top of one boot was identified as belonging to Brian. There was testimony that the boots were similar to Howard's boots, testimony that Howard might have been wearing his boots on Friday, and that Negroid hairs were found in the boots that were microscopically similar to Howard's. Other Caucasian hairs were found in the boots that were never identified. Most significantly, the boots were found at the side of the road at 8:45 a.m. by a man who testified that there were dew prints of feet in the grass showing someone had walked out of the woods, set the boots out in the open, and then returned to the woods. When the man walked by at 8:30 a.m., the boots were not there. It was on his return trip that they appeared. In spite of this evidence, the State argued Howard threw the boots from a car. The boots were found side by side consistent with having been placed there. If the State's argument were correct, this would have been a pretty remarkable throw. Also, by 7:30 a.m., an hour and forty-five minutes before the boots appeared, Howard was in town. Also, Howard was wearing the same clothing on Saturday morning as he had been wearing the night before. There was no blood on them. If he had worn the boots, the blood would have been on his pants leg. Dr. Kokes testified that the murder of Brian would have transferred blood, but none was found on Howard's clothes. Too, Howard showed no bruises or other marks, and the evidence was Brian was a fellow who did not back down. Also, Shannon showed defensive marks. Fingerprints were also relied upon. Prints found on the door to the U-Haul were introduced. That was of no significance. There was abundant testimony that Howard was driving the truck the day before. Fingerprints from a Mountain Dew bottle in the Day home were also introduced. Again, they were of little significance. Howard was a frequent guest in the home. More significant, and still unexplained, were the unidentified fingerprints on the frames that sat atop Shannon's body. There was evidence that Howard had a.38 caliber handgun. Brian was shot with a .38. No doubt that raises an inference, but the question is how strong an inference given there is probably not a more common caliber than .38. The handcuffs introduced were not similar to the ones found on Brian and Shannon. There is also the tool box purchase. No assertion of relevance is made by the majority. If Howard had the green Brian was trading for, he might have wanted the tool box to move it. That would be significant evidence. But there is no such evidence. It was too small to transport a body, and why would he have needed it? He had the U-Haul, which a person of average intelligence would not have left at his own farm with a body in the back of it. One also wonders who called the sheriff to report a U-Haul dripping blood on a remote farm. I do not dispute this evidence made Howard a proper suspect. I dispute, however, that this constitutes substantial evidence. This case need not have been presented as it was. It appears that once Howard was a suspect, the investigation narrowed and resulted in its present posture. In the words of Hays McWhirter of the Arkansas State Police, Yes, I continued to work up the case. We continued from the different leads and information we were getting we continued to work to see if anybody else was involved with Mr. Howard.