Opinion ID: 2157140
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: State v. Bruce Cunningham

Text: On February 3, 1983, thirty-four-year-old Bruce Cunningham began drinking heavily at 9:15 in the morning. At 1:00 that afternoon, Cunningham went to his ex-wife's house and found his ex-wife in her bedroom with another man. The man left and Cunningham tried to rape his ex-wife, but his son walked into the room causing Cunningham to stop. As his ex-wife and son left the house to go to the police, Cunningham followed, at one point mentioning that he had a knife in his knapsack. Cunningham boarded a bus to return home, carrying a new supply of rum and beer. He met a woman on the bus and was later seen with that woman at his bus stop. According to Cunningham, they decided to find a secluded place to have sex, but an argument broke out while they were having sex. The State contended that during their walk, Cunningham kidnaped the woman, forced her to a deserted area, struck her in the head with a rock, stabbed her in the abdomen, and raped her. Afterward, Cunningham buried the woman's body and went to a nearby tavern. Someone at the tavern noticed that Cunningham's hands were covered in blood. The next day, the victim's mother reported her missing. Police found the victim's body in an secluded area, covered with leaves. Defendant was identified as a suspect by a witness who saw Cunningham walking with the victim and from bite marks on the victim's breast that matched Cunningham's molar impressions. He was convicted of purposeful or knowing murder, felony murder, kidnaping, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault. At the penalty phase, a psychiatrist testified that Cunningham was suffering from a mental disease or defect as a result of a paranoid personality disorder. Evidence was presented that Cunningham suffered from an abusive childhood. He dropped out of high school at age sixteen and had a history of excessive drinking and drug abuse. Although Cunningham entered the Navy and obtained a GED, for two years prior to the offense he had not been employed. Cunningham's prior criminal record consisted of disorderly persons offenses, two burglaries, aggravated assault and battery. At the time of the offense, Cunningham was living with his wife and four children. The State argued that the following aggravating factors applied: c(4)(c) (extreme suffering), c(4)(f) (escape detection) and c(4)(g) (contemporaneous felony). The jury found only that the c(4)(g) applied. The jury found all mitigating factors presented by defendant applied: c(5)(a) (extreme mental or emotional disturbance), c(5)(c)(age), c(5)(d) (diminished capacity), and c(5)(h) (catch-all). The jury found that the aggravating factors did not outweigh the mitigating factors. Cunningham was subsequently sentenced to an aggregate term of 130 years with a fifty-five-year parole disqualifier.