Opinion ID: 2265144
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Adequacy of Evidence in Support of Aggravating Factor c(4)(f)

Text: Defendant argues that there was insufficient evidence to support the jury's finding that aggravating factor c(4)(f) existed. Thus, defendant asserts that the trial court erred in submitting that factor to the jury and that the jury's ultimate conclusion regarding the factor was insupportable. We disagree with both arguments. Prior to the commencement of trial, defendant made a motion to strike the aggravating factors that the State had submitted. The trial court conditionally denied defendant's motion with regard to factor c(4)(f), that the murder had been committed for the purpose of escaping detection, trial, punishment, or confinement for another offense committed by the defendant. Expressly left open by the court was the possibility that the motion could be renewed if defendant's confession was found to be inadmissible. Well, there would be one important piece of evidence that the Court would not have or be able to consider in deciding this motion, and that piece of evidence would be the confession. If the Court were to suppress that, there would be something lacking, I would believe, because if I recall, the statement was as they stopped the vehicle at the Garden State Plaza parking lot, Mr. Martini heard Mr. Flax's door open and he shot him three times. The inference there is that he believed Mr. Flax was going to escape from his custody and, as a result, if Mr. Flax did, in fact, escape, Mr. Martini would then be detected, apprehended, charged with Mr. Flax's kidnapping, as to the first aggravating factor. When the trial court decided to admit defendant's confession, that decision inevitably led to a reaffirmation of the denial of the motion to strike factor c(4)(f). We have from his own words why he killed Mr. Flax. `I thought he was going to run away.' If we take that, add it to the fact that Irving Flax knew him, Mr. Martini told Mrs. Flax he knew him, Mrs. Flax didn't know him, was he going to release Mr. Flax, the person who could say it was John Martini. Didn't he say to her a number of times I'm wanted for murder, I have to get out of here, it's my life? What were his intentions? As he pulled away from the Forum Diner, he believed that the police might be in the area. He went into the Bronx to try to lose them if they were following him. He didn't want to be caught. I believe there's sufficient evidence to justify the first aggravating factor and the motion to strike that it be stricken [sic]. Defendant's renewed his motion prior to the commencement of the penalty phase proceeding. Again, the court denied the motion. I'd like to address just momentarily the statements by John Martini. There, in my opinion, is corroborating evidence concerning that in many aspects. Even if there were not the jury would be instructed that they have to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of the trustworthiness of the statements in order to utilize those to support any aggravating factors   . [T]here's sufficient evidence for the jury to consider that the murder of Irving Flax was committed for the purpose of escaping detection, apprehension, trial, punishment or confinement for the crime of kidnapping   . Defendant argues that the trial court should not have submitted aggravating factor c(4)(f) to the jury because the State had offered insufficient proof of its existence. He urges us to adopt standards that would strictly limit the murders to which factor c(4)(f) would apply and erect significant obstacles in the State's path towards proving that factor. After careful consideration of the purpose of the escaping detection factor, we conclude that the trial court was correct in submitting it to the jury. In addition, the record reveals that the State produced ample evidence on which a reasonable jury could conclude that the factor existed. The key to finding factor c(4)(f) is that the defendant intended to eliminate a potential witness to his crimes. State v. Hightower, supra, 120 N.J. at 421, 577 A. 2d 99. In Hightower, we rejected a challenge to factor c(4)(f) premised on the grounds that it should apply only to crimes committed prior to the murder and not to those committed contemporaneously with the murder. Id. at 420-23, 577 A. 2d 99. The defendant in Hightower argued that without such a limitation, factor c(4)(f) would duplicate aggravating factor c(4)(g), that the murder was committed during a felony, in every murder involving a robbery, sexual assault, arson, burglary, or kidnapping. Id. at 420, 577 A. 2d 99. Although rejecting that argument, we did recognize that the concern raised by the defendant was realistic. [O]ur refusal to construe c(4)(f) narrowly as requested by defendant does not mean that in all felony murders that circumstance will duplicate c(4)(g). The requisite intent of c(4)(f) of avoiding detection is not involved in c(4)(g). Thus `the mere fact of a death is not enough to invoke this factor.' The State must present evidence `from which the jury can infer that at least one of the purposes motivating the killing was defendant's desire to avoid subsequent detection and apprehension for his crime.' [ Id. at 422, 577 A. 2d 99 (quoting Riley v. Florida, 366 So. 2d 19, 22 (Fla. 1978), North Carolina v. Goodman, 298 N.C. 1, 257 S.E. 2d 569, 586 (1979)).] We have long held that the same evidence can support more than one aggravating factor. See Rose, supra, 112 N.J. at 526-27, 548 A. 2d 1058. However, [i]f the trial court does charge on c(4)(f) and c(4)(g) it must follow the guidelines set forth in Bey [II] and warn the jury not to double-count the evidence. Hightower, supra, 120 N.J. at 422, 577 A. 2d 99 (citing Bey II, supra, 112 N.J. at 176, 548 A. 2d 887). Such precautions guard against the automatic application of factor c(4)(f) to every killing that takes place in the course of a felony. Despite the language to the contrary in Hightower, defendant contends that in order for factor c(4)(f) to be submitted to the jury, the State should be required to show clearly that the dominant or only motive for the murder was the elimination of a witness. The State, on the other hand, urges reaffirmation of the holding in Hightower, that the factor may be found to exist where at least one of the motives for the killing was to avoid apprehension. We see no reason to depart from Hightower. Had the Legislature intended the factor to be applied in such a circumscribed manner, it could easily have made its intentions clear in the statute. Nothing in the language of the factor indicates that it was meant to apply only to those murders undertaken solely for the purpose of eliminating a witness. Defendant also requests that we require the production of direct evidence of a defendant's intention to avoid apprehension in order to support the factor. The State, although acknowledging that direct evidence would be useful in that regard, argues that its absence should not be considered fatal. We agree with the State. Direct evidence of a defendant's intention to eliminate a potential witness would seldom be available to prosecutors. We permit the use of circumstantial evidence to establish motive in other contexts in our criminal law. As we stated in State v. Rogers, 19 N.J. 218, 228, 116 A. 2d 37 (1955): In criminal prosecutions, whenever the motive or the intent of the accused is important and material, a somewhat wider range of evidence is permitted in showing such motive or intent than is allowed in the support of other issues   . Otherwise there would often be no means to reach and disclose the secret design or purpose of the act charged in which the very gist of the offense may consist. Such intent or motive may be proved either by direct or circumstantial evidence. All evidentiary circumstances which are relevant to or tend to shed light on the motive or intent of the defendant or which tend fairly to explain his actions are admissible in evidence against him although they may have occurred previous to the commission of the offense. We reaffirmed the holding in Rogers with our decision in State v. Carter, 91 N.J. 86, 103, 449 A. 2d 1280 (1982), noting that its dictates were the majority rule throughout the country. In sum, we hold that aggravating factor c(4)(f) may be submitted to the jury when the State has produced sufficient evidence on which a jury can reasonably conclude that at least one of the motives of the defendant in killing his or her victim was to eliminate a witness or avoid subsequent apprehension and prosecution for criminal acts. Such evidence may be either direct or circumstantial. That holding is consistent with our treatment of other aggravating factors. See State v. McDougald, 120 N.J. 523, 566-67, 577 A. 2d 419 (1990) (holding that sufficient evidence is needed for a rational jury to find the existence of factor c(4)(c)). We now apply that standard to the evidence produced in support of factor c(4)(f). We find that the trial court correctly decided that the State had produced sufficient evidence on which the jury could conclude that at least one of the motives for defendant's murder of Irving Flax was to escape detection and apprehension for the kidnapping. The State outlines six facts supported by evidence in the record that bolster a finding that factor c(4)(f) existed: (1) defendant had been acquainted with Flax prior to the kidnapping; (2) defendant made several telephone calls to Mrs. Flax in which he told her he was wanted for murder elsewhere and that he intended to flee; (3) the victim was in the company of defendant for an extended period of time during which defendant did not disguise his identity; (4) defendant eluded police after retrieving the ransom money; (5) defendant forced Flax to drive to a remote area of the parking lot prior to killing him; and (6) defendant killed his victim because he believed that he was trying to escape. Defendant contests the appropriateness of each factor. We find most persuasive the fact that the victim had been acquainted with defendant and was in his presence for an extended period of time during which defendant's identity was not disguised. Defendant argues that acceptance of that evidence as support for factor c(4)(f) would qualify every defendant whose crime extended over a long duration for the death sentence. That assertion is plainly incorrect. The duration of the kidnapping does not in and of itself justify a finding that the factor existed. Instead, the victim's past knowledge of defendant and defendant's failure to disguise himself coupled with the significant opportunity available to the victim to observe defendant and confirm his identity support the factor. Finally, we note that defendant did not have to kill Flax in order to complete the kidnapping. He had already recovered the ransom money and successfully eluded police at the time that the murder took place. Indeed, no apparent purpose was served by Flax's murder except for defendant's escape from detection. The steps that defendant took to avoid apprehension, including his eluding police after picking up the ransom money, also shed light on his motive for the murder. True, as defendant argues, everyone who commits a felony seeks to avoid detection. Standing alone, those circumstances may not support application of the factor. However, when a jury views those circumstances along with the victim's familiarity with defendant, it could reasonably infer that the defendant firmly intended to escape and that the elimination of Flax was essential to the fulfillment of that objective. Finally, we consider defendant's statement, contained in his confession, that he shot Flax because he believed that his victim was about to escape from defendant's control. Defendant argues that the State set out to disprove that fact and emphasized that the medical examiner's report concluded that the killing could not have occurred under those circumstances. We agree. In fact, neither party sought to prove that defendant's statement was accurate. The defense asserted that defendant, under cocaine-induced intoxication, must have hallucinated Flax's impending flight. Thus, defendant's statement did not support the jury's conclusion that defendant had killed Flax in order to escape detection. However, even without defendant's statement, the judge had more than sufficient evidence to submit the factor to the jury and its conclusion that the factor existed was supported by sufficient evidence.