Opinion ID: 1439724
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 19

Heading: Counsel's failure to investigate medical evidence

Text: Goodwin's fourth claim states: The motion court clearly erred in denying, without a hearing, [Goodwin's] claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate the medical evidence, consult with and call a forensic pathologist, such as Dr. Thomas Bennett, because this denied [Goodwin] due process, effective assistance of counsel, and subjected him to cruel and unusual punishment, . . . in that the motion pled facts, not conclusions that entitled [Goodwin] to relief: that counsel acted unreasonably in failing to investigate and present evidence concerning the pathology reports and physical evidence to show that Mrs. Crotts' injuries were consistent with a fall down the stairs and that she was not subjected to repeated and excessive physical abuse, a necessary finding for the aggravating circumstance of depravity of mind, and to rebut the State's suggestion that [Goodwin] beat her over her entire body and therefore, deliberated. The prosecutor presented evidence that Goodwin beat Mrs. Crotts and, then, shoved her down the basement stairs. He broke eight of her ribs in the process. Goodwin then struck Mrs. Crotts, in the head, with a sledgehammer leaving two impressions in her skull. The expert at trial testified that she died from head injuries. Goodwin claims that the pathology reports indicate that Mrs. Crotts died from her fall down the stairs. He claims that the reports do not suggest that he beat her extensively before shoving her down the stairs. Goodwin claims Dr. Bennett would have testified that: 1) many of Mrs. Crotts' injuries were more probably caused from the fall down the steps, including the bruising to the brain, 2) the victim did not die from head injuries, 3) hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease caused Mrs. Crotts' death, and 4) a microscopic examination would have indicated the age of her coronary artery thrombus, heart infarction, and brain bruises. The motion court denied a hearing and held: [Goodwin's] pleading does not contest the ultimate issue found by the medical examiner, Dr. Mary Case and the Missouri Supreme Court, defendant's conduct proximately caused Mrs. Crotts death, and the precise cause of death has no bearing on his mental state at the time of striking his victim. Goodwin, 43 S.W.3d 805, 816 (Mo. banc 2001). As it was clear that the victim's injuries were caused by the deliberate acts of [Goodwin], whether by beating her or pushing her down the stairs, [Goodwin] could not have been prejudiced by trial counsel's failure to present this evidence. The motion court did not clearly err when it denied Goodwin a hearing on Dr. Bennett's testimony. Dr. Bennett's testimony would not have refuted the jury finding that Goodwin killed Mrs. Crotts by beating her, shoving her down the stairs, and striking her head with a sledgehammer. It would only have reapportioned the amounts of damage done by each of Goodwin's actions and confirmed that she had some contributing health problems. The issue before the court was deliberation. Dr. Bennett's testimony does not undercut the State's evidence that Goodwin beat Mrs. Crotts and hit her with a sledgehammer. His testimony only reapportions the actual cause of death from the beating to the shoving. This does not undercut the State's theory of deliberation or depravity. Goodwin is not entitled to any relief from his conviction based upon Dr. Bennett's testimony. Goodwin has not cite[d] facts, not conclusions, which, if true, would entitle [Goodwin] to relief or show that he was prejudiced. State v. Blankenship, 830 S.W.2d 1, 16 (Mo. banc 1992). Even if it is true that Goodwin actually killed Mrs. Crotts by shoving her down the stairs instead of striking her head with a sledgehammer, he is not entitled to any relief from his conviction for deliberately killing her. Goodwin was not entitled to a hearing because the record, which includes Goodwin's confession and Mrs. Crotts' injuries, supports the jury's finding of depravity, regardless of which of her injuries actually caused her death. This point is denied.