Opinion ID: 1611371
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 20

Heading: did the state fail to prove the underlying felony of rape?

Text: At the conclusion of the State's case, Woodward moved the court for a directed verdict of not guilty of capital murder for failure of the State to prove the necessary elements of the underlying felony of rape. The court overruled the motion. Woodward asserts that the State failed to prove that the sexual intercourse was by force rather than voluntary. The victim's husband testified that he had last had sexual relations with his wife two days prior to her death. Dr. Robert Cooke testified that he found no tears on her clothing and no lacerations or tears in the vagina area. He noted that the lack of lacerations does not prove that there was no legal rape because different people react differently when they are fearful of their life. Judy James, a crime lab expert, testified similarly. On appeal, Woodward argues that the circumstantial evidence actually indicates that the victim was killed during the course of robbery or grand larceny because James testified that she found two rings on the ground near the victim and a white beaded necklace in her left hand. Larry Turner, a forensic serologist, testified that Woodward is a secretor with type A blood and that the seminal fluids present in the victim's vagina were from a person who is a secretor with type A blood. The testimony from Woodward's confession certainly constitutes sufficient proof that sexual intercourse between Woodward and the victim occurred. However, the vaginal sexual intercourse occurred after the oral intercourse and, more importantly, was accompanied by threats of violence while Woodward had the pistol in his hand. There may be sufficient proof of rape despite a complete absence of bruises or lacerations on the victim's body. Stewart v. State, 466 So.2d 906, 908 (Miss. 1985). Stewart also states the following: The well-settled rule is that in a prosecution for rape, physical force on the part of the assailant or physical resistance on the part of the victim is not necessary if the proof shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim surrendered because of fear arising out of a reasonable apprehension of great bodily harm. Clemons v. State, 460 So.2d 835 (Miss. 1984); Davis v. State, 406 So.2d 795 (Miss. 1981); Fields v. State, 293 So.2d 430 (Miss. 1974)... . Id. at 909. It is this Court's opinion that the evidence presented was sufficient to convince a rational factfinder of Woodward's guilt of the crime of rape beyond a reasonable doubt. Id.