Opinion ID: 1906630
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Allegations of Perjury by Investigating Officers

Text: Appellant brings two additional issues raising prior counsels' ineffectiveness where he again alleges perjury by the investigating officers in the affidavits upon which the search and arrest warrants were based. These claims merely restate, in more colorful form, the allegations Appellant raises in his earlier claims regarding purported perjury by the investigating officers, and similarly lack support in the record. Appellant is entitled to no relief on these claims. Appellant claims ineffectiveness of all previous counsel for failing to impeach the testimony of Officer Mark Krahe based on allegedly false statements contained in the search and arrest warrant affidavits. Specifically, Appellant complains that the statements in the July 28, 1981 affidavits regarding possible sexual assault of the victim should have been used to impeach Krahe, because of the absence of any trial testimony indicating that the victim was sexually assaulted. We cannot find any prejudice from trial counsel's failure to impeach Krahe on this basis. The testimony of the pathologist, Dr. Rozwadowski, established that the anus of the victim could be easily opened up. This tends to corroborate Krahe's statement in the July 28, 1981 affidavit that sexual assault may have been the motive for the murder, based on his observation of the condition of the victim's anus when the body was discovered. The fact that subsequent investigation by the pathologist turned up no conclusive evidence of sexual assault, and that the Commonwealth did not pursue this theory at Appellant's trial, does not prove that Krahe's initial suspicions of possible sexual assault, based on his observation of the crime scene, were false. Further, counsel's decision not to impeach Krahe concerning his suspicions of sexual assault may have been to Appellant's benefit, since the introduction of police suspicion of sexual assault may have worked to Appellant's detriment. Finally, Appellant does not demonstrate a reasonable probability that the outcome of his trial would have been different had his trial counsel pursued this questionable method of impeachment. Absent a demonstration of prejudice, there can be no supportable claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Commonwealth v. Pierce, 515 Pa. 153, 527 A.2d 973 (1987).