Opinion ID: 1621897
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: failure to object to admission of metal pipe

Text: Kinder argues that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the admission of a metal pipe into evidence on the ground that it was not the murder weapon. The motion court found that an objection to the admission of the pipe would have been meritless and would not have affected the outcome of the trial. The State's theory of the case was that Kinder had most likely beaten the victim with the pipe he had been carrying earlier in the evening. The pipe that was admitted at trial had been turned over by Kinder to the police. The State argued that the pipe admitted at trial was either the murder weapon itself or similar to the actual murder weapon. As a general rule, demonstrative evidence is admissible if it is relevant ... assum[ing] that the reproduction... fairly represents the conditions which it is offered to show. State v. Silvey, 894 S.W.2d 662, 667 (Mo. banc 1995) (quoting State v. Nelson, 484 S.W.2d 306, 307 (Mo. 1972)). Kinder does not argue that the pipe admitted at trial was not a fair representation of the pipe in his possession the night of the murder nor does he contend that the pipe admitted at trial was not recovered from him. This evidence was relevant, and an objection to its admissibility would have been unsuccessful. Therefore, counsel could not have been ineffective for failing to object.