Opinion ID: 2052374
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence Regarding Search for Defendant on the Night of the Murders

Text: The prosecution presented evidence and argument that the authorities looked for defendant on the night of the murders but did not find him. Chicago Police Detective James Brennan testified on direct examination regarding his processing of the crime scene. After speaking with family members of the victims, Detective Brennan, along with TQ, Mary Pearson, and two other detectives, went in one car to look for defendant. Detective Brennan testified that they could not locate defendant that night. Defendant argues that Detective Brennan's testimony was improper and prejudicial because the record shows that defendant voluntarily surrendered himself the day after the murders. Defendant has waived this argument by failing to object to the testimony at trial. See People v. Enoch, 122 Ill.2d 176, 186, 119 Ill.Dec. 265, 522 N.E.2d 1124 (1988). Defendant, however, argues that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to preserve this issue. We find that defendant has failed to establish the requisite prejudice for his claim. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S.Ct. at 2068, 80 L.Ed.2d at 698. The defense cites People v. Hayes, 139 Ill.2d 89, 151 Ill.Dec. 348, 564 N.E.2d 803 (1990), in support of its argument that a defendant's concealment of himself from police is not relevant unless the defendant knew at the time of concealment that he was a suspect. The defense points out that the record reveals no evidence that defendant knew that police were looking for him before the time at which he surrendered himself. Defendant's reliance upon Hayes is misplaced. In Hayes, testimony revealed that the police tried for over two weeks to apprehend the defendant and were not able to do so. The trial court concluded that this evidence was relevant because it raised an inference that the defendant concealed himself from the police. The Hayes court did not agree with the trial court's conclusion in this regard. Nevertheless, the Hayes court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting the testimony as relevant to describe the circumstances leading up to the defendant's arrest, where these circumstances are important to a full explanation of the State's case. Hayes, 139 Ill.2d at 130-32, 151 Ill.Dec. 348, 564 N.E.2d 803. Here, Detective Brennan's testimony regarding the search for defendant at different locations on the night of the murders was relevant to establish TQ's reaction of ducking in the backseat when arriving at the various locations. The prosecution's theory was that TQ's delay in identifying defendant was attributable to her fear of defendant. There is no indication in the record that the prosecution improperly used this evidence to raise an inference that defendant concealed himself from the police.