Opinion ID: 1267954
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: admissibility of appellants statements on december 21, 1987 and december 23, 1987

Text: On appeal, appellant also asserts that his statements made on December 21, 1987 and December 23, 1987 were inadmissible because they, like the December 20, 1987 confession, were induced as a result of the polygraph examiner's alleged promise of leniency. As discussed above, this contention is meritless. Appellant also argues that these statements were improperly admitted because they were obtained after he had invoked his right to counsel by requesting the appointment of a public defender. We need not address this issue or whether these statements were voluntarily made because these statements were merely cumulative to those properly obtained in the December 20, 1987 confession and to appellant's testimony at trial. See State v. Blackburn , 271 S.C. 324, 247 S.E. (2d) 334 (1978) (admission of improper evidence is harmless where evidence is merely cumulative to other evidence). Although in the more detailed statement of December 23, 1987, appellant admitted sexual intercourse with the victim, appellant was not prejudiced by the admission of this statement since the trial judge directed a verdict for appellant on the criminal sexual conduct charge. For the reasons discussed above, appellant's convictions and life sentence for murder, kidnapping, and the malicious destruction of personal property are affirmed. Affirmed. GREGORY, C.J., CHANDLER and TOAL, JJ., and LITTLEJOHN, Acting Associate Justice, concur.