Opinion ID: 1201220
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Defendant argues that the evidence presented was insufficient to permit a reasonable juror to find defendant guilty of the murders beyond a reasonable doubt. Additionally, because the evidence of guilt was allegedly insufficient, defendant contends the evidence was insufficient for the jury to find the aggravating circumstance as to each murder, namely, that defendant engaged in a course of conduct which included the commission of another crime of violence; here, the first-degree murder of another person. We disagree. When considering a motion to dismiss, the trial court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, giving the State the benefit of all reasonable inferences. State v. Morgan, 359 N.C. 131, 161, 604 S.E.2d 886, 904 (2004) (citations omitted), cert. denied, 546 U.S. 830, 126 S.Ct. 47, 163 L.Ed.2d 79 (2005). If substantial evidence exists to support each essential element of the crime charged and that defendant was the perpetrator, it is proper for the trial court to deny the motion. Id. (citation omitted). Substantial evidence is relevant evidence that a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. State v. Miller, 363 N.C. 96, 99, 678 S.E.2d 592, 594 (2009) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted). The State's evidence was sufficient. Witnesses testified that defendant bragged while in jail that he was going to f him [Gillard] up for not paying money owed, money that would have allowed defendant to be released from the detention center. In the days following defendant's release, he attempted to make telephone contact with Gillard at least eight times, leaving a message on Gillard's voice mail inviting him to see a motorcycle and ordering him to come alone. Shortly before his death, Gillard told others that he was going to purchase a motorcycle. On 9 October 2001, Gillard and Leavy left Leavy's residence together, and Leavy's girlfriend later called Gillard's mobile phone and was told that they were busy and would return her call later. This call was routed through the southwest panel of the cellular phone tower nearest defendant's residence. Moreover, certain evidence indicated that the murders did not occur in the vehicle containing the bodies or in the area where the vehicle was found. In defendant's yard there were two areas of roughly twenty to thirty square feet each where fresh soil was spread over the grass. Under the soil, the ground smelled of gasoline and putrid blood. During the 2007 sentencing hearing, evidence was presented that a part of the soil tested positive for blood. A piece of concrete found several inches in the ground tested positive for human blood. Two spent nine millimeter projectiles were found in the ground at defendant's residence, along with spent nine millimeter casings. The projectiles recovered from the victims' bodies and from defendant's yard were fired from a weapon with a left-hand twist and nine lands and grooves. Approximately one week after the murders, defendant asked a friend to pawn a gold ring with a black onyx stone. The ring was similar to one owned by Gillard and purchased by him several months earlier from the same pawnshop. Defendant basically attempts to interpret the evidence in a light most favorable to him, detailing other plausible explanations for the evidence presented by the State at trial. However, `[w]hen ruling on a motion to dismiss for insufficient evidence. ... [a]ny contradictions or conflicts in the evidence are resolved in favor of the State and evidence unfavorable to the State is not considered.' State v. Wilkerson, 363 N.C. 382, 427-28, 683 S.E.2d 174, 202 (2009) (quoting Miller, 363 N.C. at 98, 678 S.E.2d at 594 (alterations in original) (citations omitted by court)). These assignments of error are overruled.