Opinion ID: 853560
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Photographs of the Victim's Body

Text: Numerous photographs were admitted at trial depicting Barbara Marshall's body at the scene of the crime and during autopsy. Wright objected to their admission on grounds that their gruesome nature outweighed their probative value and that they were cumulative. (Appellant's Br. at 19.) The trial court overruled the objections and admitted the photographs. To exclude photographs from evidence on relevancy grounds, Wright must show that their improper influence on the jury outweighed their probative value to the extent that they were unduly prejudicial. Harrison v. State, 699 N.E.2d 645, 647 (Ind.1998). Photographs depicting the victim's injuries or demonstrating a witness's testimony are generally admissible and will not be rejected merely because they are gruesome or cumulative. Id. To exclude photographs because they are cumulative, Wright must show that the probative value is substantially outweighed by the needless presentation of cumulative evidence. Id. at 648. We review the trial court's ruling for an abuse of discretion. Id. Of the photographs at issue, two depict Marshall's body on the floor, where it was found. One shows only her head; another shows her entire body. These photos show her body in relation to the door and hallway. They also demonstrate that several knives were found near her body. Exhibits 32-45 are a catalogue of the numerous stab wounds inflicted upon the victim. One photo shows a complete overview of the victim's torso, while two others are close-ups of her face and neck, and the corresponding incisions. The remaining ten photographs are close-up shots of the victim's stab wounds, including photographs of her hands, arms, and scalp. The photographs at issue establish the cause of death and the manner in which the crime was committed. This evidence was particularly probative inasmuch as Wright attempted to establish that he was not the perpetrator and, in the alternative, that the killing was without deliberation, in response to being confronted by a woman with a knife while Wright was in a deeply intoxicated state. (Appellant's Br. at 12.) The photographs are also probative in light of Wright's testimony at trial that he did not remember stabbing Barbara Marshall. The photographs are not particularly gruesome and show the wounds as the coroner found them, without alteration. Each photo shows a different view of the crime scene or the victim's injuries. These photographs were not needlessly cumulative and were not introduced solely for the purpose of inflaming the jurors' emotions. We do not see an abuse of discretion by the trial court.