Opinion ID: 1102069
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Motion to Suppress Murray's Statements

Text: Murray argues that the trial court erred in not suppressing his statements to the police. He contends that Detective O'Steen told him that his DNA matched the DNA found at the murder scene. Murray then attempted to explain how that would be possible. However, the DNA evidence that Detective O'Steen referred to was later declared inadmissible by this Court in Murray v. State, 692 So.2d 157 (Fla.1997). Therefore, Murray argues that because the DNA test results had been declared inadmissible, any responses to O'Steen's questions referring to the DNA evidence should also be declared inadmissible. [13] The trial court overruled the objection, finding that Murray's response to the question was voluntary and therefore admissible. We find this claim to be without merit. The record reveals that at trial, Detective O'Steen testified that he interviewed Murray on April 8, 1992. During the interview, O'Steen told Murray that hairs found at the scene of the crime matched his hairs and asked him how his hair could have been found at the crime scene. [14] Murray responded that he had pulled a bag of reefer out of his crotch and gave it to Taylor and that his hair must have stuck to the bag. When the officers asked for more details about the reefer bag, Murray did not remember and then gave a second scenario to explain the presence of his hair. According to Murray, some of his hairs could have been on Taylor's clothes and fallen off when Taylor removed his clothes to have sex with the victim. O'Steen asked Murray how he knew Taylor had removed his clothes, to which Murray responded that he assumed that is what happened. On appeal, Murray argues that because this Court found the DNA test results admitted in Murray's first trial to be inadmissible, any statements by Murray in response to the officer's comment that his DNA matched DNA found at the scene should also be held inadmissible. We agree with the trial court that the sole issue concerning Murray's statements appears to be whether they were voluntarily made. The State must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the confession was freely and voluntarily given and that the rights of the accused were knowingly and intelligently waived. Escobar v. State, 699 So.2d 984, 987 (Fla.1997); see also Thompson v. State, 548 So.2d 198, 204 (Fla.1989). The record here reveals that prior to questioning Murray, O'Steen advised him of his Miranda [15] rights. Murray stated that he understood his rights and then waived them by signing a waiver form. Murray did not ask to speak to a lawyer or state that he did not want to talk to O'Steen. According to O'Steen, Murray was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the interview, he was not threatened or coerced in any way, and he was not promised anything in exchange for his statements. As noted above, the trial court ruled that Murray's statements to the police were voluntary and therefore admissible. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court did not err in admitting Murray's statements to Detective O'Steen.