Opinion ID: 1878960
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the trial court erred when it admitted into evidence a rifle casing and a pair of black shorts.

Text: ¶ 42. The State offered into evidence over Baldwin's objection a pair of black shorts and a .270 caliber rifle shell casing found at the gravel pit where Stanley Abrams had taken detectives in July 1996. Baldwin asserts that the trial court erred in allowing the admission of this evidence because it was irrelevant, it was not sufficiently linked to him, and it was more prejudicial than probative. The State asserts that the evidence is consistent with the statement of Stanley Abrams and has probative value since it was discovered by detectives at the gravel pit to which Abrams had directed them. Further, the State points out that Dr. Steven Hayne, the medical examiner who performed Liz Dill's autopsy, testified that a.270 Winchester would be sufficient to cause the deadly gunshot wound in the back of Liz's head. ¶ 43. Relevant evidence is evidence having any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. Miss. R. Evid. 401. Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. Miss. R. Evid. 403. As discussed under Issues III and V above, the standard of review regarding Rule 403 determinations is an abuse of discretion. Foster v. State, 508 So.2d at 1117-18. ¶ 44. The shorts corroborate Clint Baldwin's admission as reported by Abrams. Clint had stated that Liz Dill was wearing shorts before Darnell raped her. When Abrams recanted his statement at trial, the jury was left to determine which story it would believe. It is the sole province of the jury to resolve any conflicts arising from the testimony presented at trial. White v. State, 742 So.2d 1126, 1131 (Miss. 1999). ¶ 45. The .270 caliber rifle shell casing corroborates the testimony of Dr. Hayne that Liz Dill was killed by a high-velocity gunshot to the back of her head. Detective Frank Baker testified that several shell casings were found in the gravel pit, but only one .270 casing was discovered. The State theorizes that if someone had been sighting a gun or target shooting, more than one casing would have been found. Again, these issues were for the jury to weigh and determine. ¶ 46. The shorts and the rifle shell casing tend to make more probable the State's theory that Clint and Darnell Baldwin took Liz Dill to the gravel pit, Darnell raped her, and they shot her in the head with a high-powered rifle. Thus, the evidence meets the definition of relevant evidence under Rule 401. Further, the probative value of the evidence is not outweighed by any of the factors listed in Rule 403. The trial court does not appear to have abused its discretion in allowing the evidence to be admitted. For these reasons, we find no merit to this assignment of error.