Opinion ID: 1936097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: whether the trial court failed to properly and adequately instruct the jury concerning the evidence on count four

Text: Count Four of the indictment charged Jackson with the murder of Andrew Kuyoro. Because neither Sarah nor Regina Jackson actually saw Jackson stab Andrew, he contends that evidence that he killed the child is purely circumstantial. Thus, he argues, First Phase Instruction S-2 failed to correctly instruct the jury on the evaluation of circumstantial evidence. In relevant part, Instruction S-2 provides as follows: As to Count 4 of the indictment charging the capital murder of Andrew Odutola Kuyoro, Jr., if you believe from the evidence in this case beyond a reasonable doubt and to the exclusion of every other reasonable hypothesis consistent with innocence . .. the Defendant ... was engaged in or attempting to engage in the felonious abuse and/or felonious battery of Andrew ... and if you further believe from the evidence in this case beyond a reasonable doubt that on that date, the Defendant ... did unlawfully, wilfully, feloniously and of his malice aforethought, kill and murder Andrew ... while so engaged or attempting to engage in the felonious abuse and/or felonious battery of said child, then it is your sworn duty to find the Defendant ... guilty of capital murder as charged in Count 4 of this indictment. In circumstantial evidence cases, the state is required to `prove the accused's guilt not only beyond a reasonable doubt, but to the exclusion of every other hypothesis consistent with innocence.' Isaac v. State, 645 So.2d 903, 909 n. 7 (Miss. 1994), quoting Leflore v. State, 535 So.2d 68, 70 (Miss. 1988). Jackson now complains that the language and to the exclusion of every other reasonable hypothesis consistent with innocence was used only with regard to felonious child abuse and not in connection with the capital murder charges. He neglects to point out, however, that two other jury instructions instructed the jury as to the circumstantial nature of the evidence surrounding Count Four. The jury having been so instructed through Instructions C-CR-3 and C-CR-5, as well as through S-2, we find that no error resulted from the wording of Count Four of Instruction S-2.