Opinion ID: 16333
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: 2 In the early morning hours of December 3, 1983, Marilyn Peter was sexually assaulted, strangled, and brutally stabbed at her residence in Liberty County, Texas. That same morning, a man meeting Little's general description was seen in the doorway of Peter's home. 3 Later that day, when appliance repairmen came to Peter's home to install her clothes dryer, they found blood on the doorjamb and heard a baby crying. The repairmen entered the home to find Peter's two-year-old child crying on the kitchen counter. The kitchen and living room were covered with blood. Marilyn Peter lay dead in the living room, her body ravaged by multiple stab wounds. 4 Two men confessed to the murder of Marilyn Peter. On December 4, 1983, Michael Raymond Thomas confessed to the murder while interviewing with Officers John Stapleton and Robert Dunn. On December 6, 1983, following his arrest on a parole violation, Little also confessed to the murder. The two were indicted separately on February 8, 1984.
5 The indictment against Thomas was ultimately dismissed, and Little stood trial for the slaying. During the course of his trial, Little's counsel offered Thomas's confession into evidence for state of mind, but not for the truth of the matter asserted. The trial judge rejected the proffer as hearsay. Near the close of Little's case-in-chief, the Thomas confession was offered again. During a hearing on the admissibility of the confession, the trial court heard evidence bearing on the reliability of the confession. Although Thomas was called to testify, he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights. At the close of the hearing, the trial court sustained the State's hearsay objection again. 6 Two other events that occurred during Little's trial are germane to this appeal. First, the prosecutor made several allegedly improper statements during the course of his closing argument. 1 Little's trial counsel chose not to object to the statements. Second, Dr. James Grigson testified during the sentencing portion of Little's trial. While Little's trial counsel did cross-examine Dr. Grigson, no rebuttal psychiatric testimony was offered.
7 Little was convicted of the murder of Marilyn Peter and sentenced to death. On direct appeal, Little challenged several aspects of the voir dire, alleged the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction, and maintained that his confession and certain other evidence were obtained in violation of his constitutional rights. See Little v. State, 758 S.W.2d 551, 552 (Tex.Crim.App.1988). 2 Little's conviction and sentence were affirmed. See id. at 567. 8 In his state habeas petition, Little finally asserted many of the arguments he now presses upon this court. Little alleged, inter alia, that Thomas's confession was improperly excluded, that the State suppressed or destroyed exculpatory evidence, that the performance of Little's trial counsel was deficient, and that Dr. Grigson's testimony was improperly admitted. Adopting the voluminous findings of the state district court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Little's petition.
9 In 1989, Little filed the federal habeas petition underlying the present appeal. Following an evidentiary hearing covering the reliability of Thomas's confession and certain of Little's ineffective assistance claims, the magistrate judge entered findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a recommendation rejecting each of the petitioner's claims. The district court adopted the report and recommendation and denied Little's motion for a CPC. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c), Little now requests that this court grant his application for a CPC and review his petition on the merits.