Opinion ID: 1694698
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Admission of Photographs and Slides of Ligenza's Body.

Text: Davlin asserts that the district court erred in admitting into evidence photographs of the back of Ligenza's body, photographs taken during the autopsy, and slides of the autopsy photographs. Davlin argues that the photographs were not relevant and that even if they were relevant, their admission was unfairly prejudicial. We conclude that the photographs were relevant and that their admission was not unfairly prejudicial. Davlin argues that the photographs were not relevant because none of the photographs showed physical injury to the throat and they therefore did not support the State's theory that Ligenza was strangled. He also argues that the photographs were not necessary to establish identity, nor were they relevant to any issue regarding the condition of the body or the nature of the injuries or to establishing malice or intent. Davlin argues that even if the photographs were relevant, their probative value was outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. He asserts that the shocking, gruesome, and grisly nature of the photographs of a burned corpse would be so emotionally overwhelming as to override the jury's objectivity. [16,17] The admission of photographs of a gruesome nature rests largely within the discretion of the trial court, which must determine their relevancy and weigh their probative value against their prejudicial effect. State v. Decker, 261 Neb. 382, 622 N.W.2d 903 (2001). If a photograph illustrates or makes clear some controverted issue in a homicide case, a proper foundation having been laid, it may be received, even if gruesome. State v. Bjorklund, 258 Neb. 432, 604 N.W.2d 169 (2000). Likewise, in a homicide prosecution, photographs of a victim may be received into evidence for purposes of identification, to show the condition of the body or the nature and extent of wounds and injuries to it, and to establish malice or intent. State v. Clark, 255 Neb. 1006, 588 N.W.2d 184 (1999). We determine that the photographs were relevant. The photographs of the back of the body were used to illustrate testimony by the pathologists who stated that the fact that the back was not as badly burned as the front and sides indicated that the fire started after Ligenza was dead because otherwise she would have attempted to escape and the burns would have been more evenly distributed. The slides and photographs from the autopsy were used to illustrate portions of the testimony of the doctor who performed the autopsy. The photographs illustrated observations made by the doctor from which he formed opinions regarding the cause and timing of death. The testimony of the pathologists and the doctor who performed the autopsy was relevant because it indicated that Ligenza's death was not caused by the fire, therefore supporting the State's theory that Davlin strangled Ligenza before he started the fire, and because it contradicted an alternative finding that the fire caused Ligenza's death. The photographs supported the testimony and were relevant to the same issues. Because the photographs and slides were relevant to important issues in the case, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in determining that their probative value outweighed their potential prejudicial effect and in admitting the photographs and slides into evidence. We reject this assignment of error.