Opinion ID: 867411
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Original Sentencing

Text: ¶ 6 The combined aggravation and penalty phase hearing held in June 2001 included testimony from mental health experts, law enforcement officers, a burn injury expert, and Grell's sister. The State asserted three statutory aggravating factors: that Grell had previously been convicted of a serious offense; that the crime was committed in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner; and that the victim was younger than fifteen years of age. See A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(2), (F)(6), (F)(9) (1999). The trial court found all three. ¶ 7 The prior serious offense was a 1996 conviction for robbery. See A.R.S. § 13-703(H) (1999) (identifying robbery as a serious offense for purposes of use as a death penalty aggravator). That Kristen was younger than fifteen at the time of the crime was proven by a birth certificate showing her 1997 birthdate, which established that she was two years old at the time of her death. ¶ 8 Citing the facts that Kristen was conscious when set on fire, that she had to have suffered immense physical pain, and that Grell should have foreseen the pain she would suffer, the court also found the crime especially cruel. In addition, while acknowledging that only a finding of cruelty was necessary to satisfy the § 13-703(F)(6) aggravating factor, the court also found the crime heinous and depraved. [2] The court cited the following factors in making these findings: (1) the crime was senseless; (2) the victim was helpless; (3) the victim was the defendant's own child; (4) the method of killing ensured that the victim would suffer unimaginable pain; (5) the method ensured that the body would be disfigured; and (6) the defendant made comments to a convenience store clerk after the murder about seeing a dog set on fire. [3] The court stated that these facts satisfied the test set forth in State v. Gretzler, 135 Ariz. 42, 659 P.2d 1 (1983), and concluded that the manner of killing, in addition to being cruel, was also heinous and depraved. ¶ 9 In mitigation, Grell alleged the statutory mitigating circumstance of mental impairment, see A.R.S. § 13-703(G)(1), as well as non-statutory mitigators of mental retardation, learning disabilities, difficult childhood, and remorse. Much of the evidence at the hearing centered on Grell's claims of mental impairment, mental retardation, and a cognitive disorder caused by brain damage. ¶ 10 Drs. Globus and Wicks testified for the defense and Drs. Mayberg and Scialli testified for the State. On the issues of mental impairment and brain damage, Dr. Globus testified that he initially diagnosed Grell with brain damage before having a PET scan done and before having Dr. Wicks do a blind neuropsychological evaluation of Grell. Dr. Globus is not certified to read PET scans, and those who prepared the report for him did not testify, facts noted by the court in its sentencing decision. Dr. Mayberg, the State's neuropsychologist who is qualified to read PET scans, testified that Grell's PET scan showed no brain damage. Dr. Scialli testified that he found no evidence of a cognitive disorder caused by brain damage, but instead diagnosed Grell as having only an anti-social personality disorder. ¶ 11 The trial court ultimately found no credible evidence that Grell suffered from brain damage. The court instead accepted Dr. Scialli's diagnosis that Grell suffered from an anti-social personality disorder, symptoms of which include acting impulsively and using poor judgment. ¶ 12 Drs. Globus and Wicks also testified regarding Grell's mental retardation, as did Dr. Scialli. The court acknowledged Grell's low IQ scores, ranging from 65 to 74, but weighted more heavily Dr. Scialli's testimony that Grell had adequate adaptive skills. [4] In addition, the trial court observed that no one before Drs. Globus and Wicks had ever diagnosed Grell as having mental retardation and that Grell had demonstrated good adaptive skills by maintaining a false identity in order to be charged as a juvenile after he was arrested for robbery in 1996 when he was twenty years old. ¶ 13 Finding no mitigation sufficiently substantial to call for leniency, the judge sentenced Grell to death.