Opinion ID: 888582
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Counts I, IV, and V

Text: ¶34 As noted above, the State charged Rosling with Count I  deliberate homicide, in violation of § 45-5-102(1)(a), MCA; Count IV  aggravated burglary, in violation of § 45-6-204(2)(b), MCA; and Count V  tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, in violation of § 45-7-207(1)(a), MCA. Rosling asserts that the District Court erred in denying his motion to dismiss each of these charges for insufficient evidence. He further asserts that the evidence at the conclusion of trial was insufficient to prove the elements of these charges. [3] ¶35 A motion to dismiss for insufficient evidence is appropriate only if, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, there is not sufficient evidence upon which a rational trier of fact could find the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Section 46-16-403, MCA; Swann, ¶¶ 16, 19. Rosling argues that there was no direct evidence that he committed any of the foregoing offenses, and he contends that the circumstantial evidence presented by the State was not legally sufficient to justify a jury in determining guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. ¶36 Circumstantial evidence is that which tends to establish a fact by proving another and which, though true, does not of itself conclusively establish that fact but affords an inference or presumption of its existence. Section 26-1-102(1), MCA. When circumstantial evidence is susceptible to two reasonable interpretations, one which supports guilt and the other which supports innocence, the trier of fact determines which interpretation is most reasonable. State v. Hall, 1999 MT 297, ¶ 22, 297 Mont. 111, ¶ 22, 991 P.2d 929, ¶ 22. Circumstantial evidence alone may be sufficient to obtain a conviction. State v. Southern, 1999 MT 94, ¶ 92, 294 Mont. 225, ¶ 92, 980 P.2d 3, ¶ 92; State v. Vukasin, 2003 MT 230, ¶ 20, 317 Mont. 204, ¶ 20, 75 P.3d 1284, ¶ 20. Circumstantial evidence must only be of such a quality and quantity as to legally justify a jury in determining guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and all facts and circumstances must be considered collectively. Southern, ¶ 92. ¶37 A person commits the offense of deliberate homicide if the person purposely or knowingly causes the death of another human being. Section 45-5-102(1)(a), MCA. A person acts purposely with respect to a result if it is the person's conscious object to cause that result. Section 45-2-101(64), MCA. A person acts knowingly with respect to a result when the person is aware that it is highly probable that the result will be caused by the person's conduct. Section 45-2-101(34), MCA. ¶38 A person commits the offense of aggravated burglary if the person knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in an occupied structure with the purpose to commit an offense therein and . . . in effecting entry or in the course of committing the offense or in immediate flight thereafter, [the person] purposely, knowingly, or negligently inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily injury upon anyone. Section 45-6-204(2)(b), MCA (paragraph breaks omitted). A person enters or remains unlawfully in an occupied structure when the person is not licensed, invited, or otherwise privileged to do so. Section 45-6-201(1), MCA. Bodily injury means physical pain, illness, or an impairment of physical condition and includes mental illness or impairment. Section 45-2-101(5), MCA. ¶39 A person commits the offense of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence if, believing that an official proceeding or investigation is pending or about to be instituted, [the person] . . . alters, destroys, conceals, or removes any record, document, or thing with purpose to impair its verity or availability in such proceeding or investigation. Section 45-7-207(1)(a), MCA (paragraph break omitted). ¶40 Rosling asserts that [t]he mere fact that [he] was placed near [Jessica's] house on the morning of February 1, 2004, does not mean that [he] entered the house and stabbed Jessica to death, does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he entered the house with the intent to commit a felony, and does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he tried to burn evidence and thereby escape detection. Rosling argues that in light of the nature and number of stab wounds, a rational jury would expect that the assailant would have a great deal of blood or other genetic material on his or her person, clothing or shoes; yet, [t]he state's experts did not find Jessica's blood on Rosling's shoes or pants. Rosling acknowledges that Jessica's blood was found on his coat, but he points out that Jessica had blood on her hand from playing quarters at the East Helena party and that her blood could have transferred from Jessica's hand to [Rosling's] coat due to their proximity when he drove her back to the Valley Hub bar. Finally, Rosling asserts that the hair found at the crime scene was insufficient to permit the jury to convict [him]. ¶41 In response, the State points out that a highly observant neighbor saw Rosling arrive in the vicinity of Jessica's house at around 6:00 a.m. and leave at around 8:00 a.m. and that this neighbor, who was vigilantly alert, did not see other cars come and go. In addition, the State observes that Rosling's shoeprints were found in Jessica's yard and that the facial hair found on the plastic bag wrapped around Jessica's head could be excluded as belonging to other possible suspects but could not be excluded as Rosling's. Furthermore, the State notes that of all the clothing analyzed at the crime lab, Jessica's blood was only on Rosling's clothing; and with respect to Rosling's contention as to the amount of blood one might expect to find on the assailant's person, clothing, or shoes, the State points out that Rosling laundered his clothes later that day. Finally, the State argues that while every other potential suspect could give a corroborated account of his or her time between leaving the East Helena party and Jessica's body being discovered, Rosling could not. ¶42 Considering all of the facts and circumstances collectively, and viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, we do not agree with Rosling that at the close of the State's case, there was insufficient evidence upon which a rational trier of fact could find the essential elements of Counts I, IV, and V beyond a reasonable doubt. According to the State's evidence, Rosling was with Jessica the night of her death. They were both drinking, and Rosling ingested methamphetamine. Rosling gave Jessica a ride to her car when the party in East Helena broke up, and Rosling apparently was the last person to see Jessica alive. Jessica was murdered in her house, and Rosling's car was seen parked near the house early that Sunday morning around the time of the murder. Jessica died from the multiple cutting and stab wounds, of which there were about 28 cutting wounds and 67 stab wounds. Magazines had been placed under her legs and set on fire. Shoeprints matching the size, shape, and tread design of Rosling's shoes were discovered leading to the patio area behind Jessica's house at a normal walking pace and leaving across the driveway at a hurried pace. One of Jessica's neighbors testified that a man matching Rosling's general description hurriedly left Jessica's house and drove away in Rosling's car at approximately 8:00 a.m. Jessica's father arrived at the house at about this same time and, shortly thereafter, discovered Jessica's body and the burning magazines. There were indications of blood on Rosling's shoes. A spot of Jessica's blood was discovered on Rosling's coat, and she could not be excluded as the contributor of two other blood stains on the coat. Rosling wore jeans during the course of the night but walked into Wal-Mart at 8:20 a.m. wearing long underwear. He had cuts on his hands. He was unable to account accurately for his whereabouts that morning, and he gave the police inconsistent statements concerning his actions during the evening before and the morning of the murder. ¶43 The State's evidence against Rosling was circumstantial, no one having actually seen him commit the offenses of deliberate homicide, aggravated burglary, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. And we agree with Rosling that presence at a crime scene is insufficient, by itself, to prove criminal liability. See Southern, ¶ 94; State v. Johnston, 267 Mont. 474, 481, 885 P.2d 402, 406 (1994). However, the State's evidence did not merely place Rosling at the scene of Jessica's murder; it connected him to that crime. Although the State's evidence was susceptible to two reasonable interpretationsone pointing to Rosling's guilt and the other pointing to an alternative explanation of how he came to have Jessica's blood on his coat, why he was seen hurriedly leaving her house around the time of the murder, and why he changed out of his jeans and into long underwear before walking into Wal-Martthis does not mean that the evidence was insufficient to support a verdict of guilty. It was the province of the jury to decide which interpretation of the evidence was most reasonable. See Hall, ¶ 22. Accordingly, after a review of the record, we hold that the State's circumstantial evidence was of sufficient quality and quantity that a rational trier of fact could find Rosling guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of Counts I, IV, and V. Cf. Southern, ¶¶ 91-94. The District Court did not err in denying Rosling's motion to dismiss for insufficient evidence as to these three charges. ¶44 As for Rosling's contention that the evidence at the conclusion of trial was insufficient to prove the elements of Counts I, IV, and V, we note that in addition to the foregoing evidence produced by the State, Rosling admitted during his testimony that he had been untruthful with the investigators, his girlfriend, and some of his friends regarding the events of January 31 and February 1. He admitted that he was at Jessica's house the morning of her death not long before her body was discovered by her father. His account was fraught with inconsistencies and was contradicted by a number of the State's witnesses. Although Rosling insisted that Jessica was already dead when he entered her house and found her on the bathroom floor, it was up to the jury to decide which version of eventsthe State's or Rosling'sto believe. See State v. McGarvey, 2005 MT 308, ¶¶ 19-20, 329 Mont. 439, ¶¶ 19-20, 124 P.3d 1131, ¶¶ 19-20. We hold that the evidence at the conclusion of trial was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find the elements of Counts I, IV, and V beyond a reasonable doubt.