Opinion ID: 1621897
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: failure to present a theory of defense

Text: Kinder claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate, present evidence, and argue that someone other than Kinder was responsible for Cynthia Williams' death. Specifically, Kinder argues that reasonably competent counsel would have presented a theory of defense that the victim's husband, Don Williams, was the assailant. The selection of witnesses and the introduction of evidence are questions of trial strategy. Leisure v. State, 828 S.W.2d 872, 875 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 923, 113 S.Ct. 343, 121 L.Ed.2d 259 (1992). Strategic choices made after a thorough investigation relevant to plausible options are virtually unchallengeable. State v. Ramsey, 864 S.W.2d 320, 340 (Mo. banc 1993), cert. denied, 511 U.S. 1078, 114 S.Ct. 1664, 128 L.Ed.2d 380 (1994). Trial counsel testified at the evidentiary hearing that they chose as a matter of trial strategy to attempt to place the blame for the victim's murder on the victim's sister, Pam Yokely. They believed she was a more likely suspect because the victim's son had made statements that his aunt possibly killed his mother, because Pam and the victim had been in physical fights in the past, and because Pam had been at the victim's house on the day that she was killed. Also, the DNA evidence established that the sample obtained from the victim did not match the genetic profile of Don Williams. From this record, we conclude that trial counsel made a valid strategic choice in presenting a defense theory that Pam Yokely, rather than Don Williams, was the murderer. The motion court did not clearly err in finding that counsel was not ineffective.