Opinion ID: 1859694
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Aggravating Circumstance of Avoiding or Preventing Arrest

Text: For his second point for reversal, Jones argues that both trial and appellate counsel were ineffective for failing to object to the State's use of the aggravating circumstance that the capital murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing arrest. Jones again concedes that this issue was not raised in his Rule 37 petition. The order, however, reflects a ruling on this issue. Specifically, the trial court found that the submission of this aggravating circumstance was proper, and that appellate counsel's failure to argue otherwise did not meet the test of ineffective assistance of counsel. Accordingly, we will address the merits of this argument. Jones relies primarily on this court's holding in Kemp, 324 Ark. 178, 919 S.W.2d 943, that although a consequence of every murder is the elimination of the victim as a potential witness, the motive is not necessarily to avoid arrest. From the record in this case, however, it is clear that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's conclusion that Jones murdered Mary Phillips for the purpose of avoiding arrest for aggravated robbery. According to Lacy Phillips, Jones came to her mother's business twice on the date of the murder. The first time, Jones asked to borrow a book. Mary gave him the book. Later, Jones returned and informed Mary that she had given him the wrong book. When Mary went to get the other book, Jones pulled out a gun and said I'm sorry I'm going to have to do this, but I'm going to have to rob you. After Jones had restrained both victims, he opened up the cash register and took all the money. Lacy indicated that she was able to get a good look at Jones. She remembered that Jones had black hair, tattoos on his arms, and a teardrop-shaped tattoo on his face. Lacy was able to describe her assailant to the police. She also clearly identified Jones at trial. Based on the foregoing evidence, the jury could have concluded that Jones murdered Mary for the purpose of avoiding or preventing his arrest for the crime of aggravated robbery. The distinctiveness of Jones's appearance, including the many tattoos on his face and arms, as well as the fact that Mary had two separate opportunities to observe him, raises an inference that had she lived, Mary could have identified Jones as the man that robbed her and her daughter at gunpoint. See Porter v. State, 321 Ark. 555, 905 S.W.2d 835 (1995), cert. denied, 517 U.S. 1108, 116 S.Ct. 1329, 134 L.Ed.2d 480 (1996) (holding that the jury could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that Porter killed the victim to avoid being arrested for robbery, because of the nature of the victim's head wound and the fact that he had spoken to Porter outside the restaurant and could have identified him as one of the robbers); Sanders v. State, 308 Ark. 178, 824 S.W.2d 353 (1992), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 1162, 115 S.Ct. 1126, 130 L.Ed.2d 1088 (1995) (holding that the evidence showed beyond a reasonable doubt that the murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing arrest based on the evidence that the victims could have identified Sanders, because he had previously worked for them and had even been in their home). Accordingly, Rule 37 relief is not warranted on this point.