Opinion ID: 865185
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: insufficient evidence of attempted rape.

Text: ¶27. This issue was thoroughly discussed on direct appeal and this Court found that the State had presented sufficient evidence of an attempted rape. Powers, 883 So.2d at 25-27. This issue is thus procedurally barred; however, procedural bar notwithstanding, we will briefly discuss this issue. The offense of attempted rape requires proof of three elements: “[1] an intent to commit rape; [2] a direct ineffectual act done toward its commission; and, [3] the failure to consummate its commission.” Powers, 883 So.2d at 26-27 (citing Ross v. State, 601 So.2d 872, 874 (Miss. 1992); Pruitt v. State, 528 So.2d 828, 830 (Miss. 1988)). In Powers, we held that “based upon all the direct evidence, and especially the physical evidence at the crime scene as depicted, inter alia, by the color photographs of the victim, the jury could reasonably find that an attempted rape occurred.” Id. at 27. Notwithstanding the fact that this issue is procedurally barred, having alternatively addressed the merits of this issue, we find the issue to be without merit. VIII. DEATH SENTENCE DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE OFFENSE. ¶28. We thoroughly addressed the proportionality issue on direct appeal, and this issue is thus procedurally barred. Once again, procedural bar notwithstanding, we proceed here to briefly discuss this issue. On direct appeal, this Court conducted a proportionality review as required by the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Miss. Code Ann. 17 § 99-19-105(3) (Rev. 2000). In so doing, we specifically found that “there is no evidence supporting a finding that [Powers’s] death sentence was imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice or any other arbitrary factor” and that the evidence supported the finding that all the statutory aggravating circumstances were present and had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This Court has already concluded that Powers’s death sentence was not disproportionate or excessive relative to the offense or to those sentences imposed in other similar cases. Powers, 883 So. 2d at 36-37. Consequently, the issue is now procedurally barred from collateral review. Miss. Code Ann. § 99-39-21(3). However, notwithstanding the procedural bar, this issue is likewise wholly devoid of merit.