Opinion ID: 2165153
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the Washing Machine Top was Negligently Secured and Preserved

Text: Steven's first contention on appeal is that the State negligently failed to secure and preserve the washing machine top allegedly used in Mannon's murder. Accordingly, Steven claims that the Superior Court should have entered a Lolly instruction negating any inference that the washing machine top was inculpatory. [5] During her initial statements to the police on January 12-13, 1992, Gibbons maintained that the murder weapon was a sink. Although Gibbons claimed that the sink was thrown into a ditch along Interstate 95, she could not locate the object described when police took her to the area she indicated. In fact, the record shows that during the search, the police pointed out the washing machine top to Gibbons, but she replied that it probably was not the murder weapon. The police continued to do a thorough search, but could not find the sink. The police were not informed that the washing machine top might have been the weapon until Nelson's counsel asked the police to obtain the washing machine top on March 30, 1992, almost three full months after the murder. Steven has not demonstrated that the actions of the police were negligent. See Hammond v. State, Del. Supr., 569 A.2d 81 (1989). The evidence showed that the police proceeded carefully and wholly within the law based on the information available. As soon as the police were aware of the possibility that the washing machine top may have been used in the murder they seized it. Even had they seized it immediately, it is unlikely the washing machine top would have yielded any new evidence. It had sat submerged in water for at least 24 hours prior to the initial discovery of it by the police. This fact would have seriously impaired the ability of the police to remove significant fingerprints, hair, or blood. Further, Gibbons testified that Outten, and not Steven, hit Mannon with the washing machine top. Therefore, even had the police pulled the washing machine top out of the ditch immediately upon discovery and not found Steven's fingerprints on the top, this would not point to Steven's innocence. Accordingly, the police actions were justified and the Superior Court did not err by refusing to find that the police acted negligently.