Opinion ID: 2433485
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Alleged Promise of Leniency

Text: A confession extracted through a promise of leniency is inadmissible. State v. Chandler, 605 S.W.2d 100, 116 (Mo. banc 1980). However, we have reviewed the comments of Agent McOmber and find that they were, at most, encouragement to cooperate. McOmber told Nicklasson that he was interested in the truth, as were the courts, and that the courts were interested in whether suspects showed remorse or were cooperative. McOmber's statements contain no explicit or implicit promise of possible leniency. Encouragement to cooperate is far from a promise of leniency and does not, as a matter of law, render a confession involuntary. State v. Simmons, 944 S.W.2d 165, 173 (Mo. banc 1997); State v. Klueg, 781 S.W.2d 133, 136 (Mo.App.1989); State v. Wilson, 755 S.W.2d 707, 709 (Mo.App.1988); State v. Dixon, 655 S.W.2d 547, 556 (Mo.App.1983), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 1072, 104 S.Ct. 982, 79 L.Ed.2d 219 (1984), overruled on other grounds, State v. Carson, 941 S.W.2d 518 (Mo. banc 1997); Bannister v. Armontrout, 4 F.3d 1434, 1440 (8th Cir.1993). The points are denied.