Opinion ID: 4578624
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Attack witnesses

Text: Ms. Brown described the night of the attack as follows. She, Mr. Oldman, Mr. Whiteplume, Mr. Dodge, and Mr. Tabaho, were in the basement drinking, smoking marijuana, and (except Mr. Dodge) using methamphetamines. After Mr. Dodge refused Mr. Oldman’s request for a bottle of alcohol, Mr. Oldman punched him. ROA, Vol. 3 at 531. They fought. Mr. Oldman knocked Mr. Dodge to the ground and punched and kicked him. Mr. Tabaho gave Mr. Oldman a nearby wrench. Id. at 570. He hit Mr. Dodge on the head with the wrench twice. Id. at 570-71. Mr. Oldman then asked Mr. Tabaho for a crowbar from upstairs. Id. at 532, 571-573. He used it to hit Mr. Dodge in the face four times. Id. Mr. Whiteplume kicked Mr. Dodge at least twice while he was on the ground. Id. at 558. Mr. Whiteplume proposed they cut Mr. Dodge’s throat. Id. at 557. Mr. Oldman and Mr. Whiteplume put Mr. Dodge—who was barely breathing—in the crawlspace. Id. at 534. At Mr. Oldman’s suggestion, they unplugged the basement freezer to mask any smell “in case he rots.” Id. at 534-35. They left Ms. Brown in the 2 We discuss only those witnesses whose testimony is relevant to this appeal. 4 basement with Mr. Dodge. She could hear him “gurgling,” but his throat had not been cut. Id. at 533, 535. She left early in the morning while it was still dark.3 A week later, Mr. Whiteplume told her he “had to slice [Mr. Dodge’s] throat.” Id. at 539.
Mr. Whiteplume testified as follows pursuant to his plea agreement. He said that he was upstairs making a drink when Mr. Oldman started beating Mr. Dodge. When he returned to the basement, he saw a belt around Mr. Dodge’s neck and Mr. Oldman grabbing Mr. Dodge’s hair and punching him. Id. at 595. After Mr. Oldman told him that Mr. Dodge had participated in a group that had jumped Mr. Whiteplume a few weeks before, resulting in his hospitalization, Mr. Whiteplume began punching Mr. Dodge. Id. at 595-96. Mr. Oldman said several times that Mr. Dodge was “going to die tonight.” Id. at 606. Mr. Whiteplume saw that Mr. Oldman had a knife, and he went upstairs to “get help.” Id. at 601. When nobody would help, he went back to the basement. He saw Mr. Oldman hit Mr. Dodge twice with “a weapon.” Id. at 608. Mr. Dodge tried to stand up but could not. Id. at 610. Mr. Whiteplume put Mr. Dodge in the crawlspace and shut the door. Id. at 611. He then went upstairs to rejoin the party. 3 Ms. Brown’s testimony is inconsistent as to whether Mr. Whiteplume and Mr. Oldman were still in the house when she left. During direct examination, she testified they were upstairs when she left. Id. at 534. During cross-examination, she agreed they had left the house while she was in the basement. Id. at 556. 5 Later that night, Mr. Whiteplume and Mr. Oldman returned to the basement. They saw Mr. Dodge trying to get out of the crawlspace. Mr. Oldman grabbed Mr. Dodge by the hair. Mr. Whiteplume refused Mr. Oldman’s order to kill Mr. Dodge. Mr. Oldman told Mr. Whiteplume to look away or go upstairs. Mr. Whiteplume walked to the stairs but turned back and saw Mr. Oldman “make four or five tugging motions” at Mr. Dodge’s throat. Id. Mr. Dodge “died right there.” Id. at 614. Later, Mr. Whiteplume, Mr. Tabaho, and Ms. Lamebull wrapped the body and returned it to the crawlspace.