Opinion ID: 1760832
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence About Victim Presented at Penalty Phase

Text: The prosecutor presented five witnesses during the penalty phase of Gill's trial. Sgt. Eric Friedrich testified as to Gill's prior convictions. The other four witnesses, all relatives of the victim, testified as to how the victim's death affected their lives and to the victim's good character. First, the victim's sister identified a family photograph album chronicling the victim's life. She also read her prepared impact statement to the jury and spoke about the victim's role in her life, including defending her against other children. She stated how proud the victim was of his daughter when she was born. She said that the image of him cradling his daughter when she was an infant reminded her of a Mr. Mom. Additionally, she spoke about the victim's generosity with his money. Second, the victim's brother-in-law testified about his relationship with the victim. The first day they met, the victim helped him push his car to a gas station. When he and his wife wanted to marry, the victim reassured their uneasy family about the couple's decision. The brother-in-law testified that he and the victim studied the West, the mythical West, and the true West, for years and years, including the characters who taught valuable life lessons, such as [y]ou don't cheat at cards and you don't start any trouble, but you stand up to it when it comes. Third, the victim's brother read a prepared statement to the jury. He recalled their childhood relationship and how the victim had helped him throughout their adolescent years. As adults, they kept in touch. During one visit, the brother learned that the victim was having serious financial problems because he had been generous with his money, including lending a friend money to pay for his wife's funeral. The brother concluded his statement by paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: The world will little note, or long remember what we say here. But they will never forget what we did here. He said that this paraphrase described his memories of the victim. Fourth, the victim's 17-year-old daughter testified. She told the jury of the impact of her father's death. She indicated that she stays awake at night thinking about how he was murdered. When asked about how her life will be different now that her father was murdered, she replied, Some day I'm gonna graduate college, and he's not gonna be there to tell me how proud he is of me. And some day I'll get married, and I won't have my dad to walk me down the aisle and tell me how proud he is of me.