Opinion ID: 1577692
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 28

Heading: Fight at Appellant's Mother's Apartment

Text: In describing what occurred in the hours prior to the murder, Burton testified that she and Appellant argued while they were at his mother's apartment and that Appellant threw a knife into the living room during this altercation. John Fields, Appellant's brother, also testified about what transpired in the apartment. He stated that Appellant had rubbed a large butcher knife up and down his arm. [7] There was also testimony from both Burton and Pritchard that Appellant later attempted to break into Burton's apartment. All of this testimony directly relates to what transpired immediately before Horton's murder. It helped to establish why Burton left Appellant's mother's apartment and why Appellant eventually went to Horton's property. See Smith v. Commonwealth, 366 S.W.2d 902, 906 (Ky.1962) ([A]ll evidence which is pertinent to the issue and tends to prove the crime charged against the accused is admissible, although it may also prove or tend to prove the commission of other crimes by him[.]). This testimony was also inextricably intertwined with the Commonwealth's proof of Appellant's mental state at the time of the offenses. KRE 404(b)(2). There was no error in the admission of testimony describing Appellant's actions in the hours before the crime.