Opinion ID: 158381
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: First degree manslaughter

Text: 64 Oklahoma defines first degree manslaughter, in pertinent part, as a homicide perpetrated without a design to effect death, and in a heat of passion, but in a cruel and unusual manner, or by means of a dangerous weapon. Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 711(2). The requisite elements for heat of passion are: 1) adequate provocation; 2) passion or emotion such as anger, rage, fear, or terror; 3) a homicide occurring during a state of passion; and 4) the existence of a causal connection between the provocation, passion and homicide. See Fairchild v. State, 965 P.2d 391, 399 (Okla. Crim. App. 1998). The requisite passion must be so great as to render the mind incapable of forming a design to effect death, see Charm, 924 P.2d at 760 (quotations omitted), and is measured by an objectively reasonable standard, see Cheney v. State, 909 P.2d 74, 90 (Okla. Crim. App. 1995). Further, the murder must occur before the murderer has a reasonable opportunity to cool down. See Lewis v. State, 970 P.2d 1158, 1166 (Okla. Crim. App. 1998) (further defining third element of offense). 65 As adequate provocation justifying the murder, Bryson asserts that the victim had been abusing Marilyn Plantz. There is evidence Marilyn Plantz had told Bryson, during the month preceding the murder, that the victim abused her, but there is no evidence of any abusive incident immediately preceding the murder to establish adequate provocation. See id. (insufficient provocation existed to warrant instructing jury on first degree manslaughter when provoking event did not occur in close proximity to killing, and defendant had reasonable opportunity to cool down). Instead, the evidence establishes that they were motivated to kill the victim to collect his life insurance proceeds. In light of these facts, Bryson was not entitled to a jury instruction on first degree manslaughter. See Turrentine v. State, 965 P.2d 955, 969-70 (Okla. Crim. App. 1998) (defendant was not entitled to have jury instructed on first degree manslaughter when there was no evidence that he committed murder without design to effect death, but instead when evidence indicated he intended to kill victim); see also Stouffer, 168 F.3d at 1171; Walker, 167 F.3d at 1349-50; Charm, 924 P.2d at 760. 66