Opinion ID: 1201575
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Would the evidence of the attempted murder have been admissible in a separate trial for the three murders?

Text: The general rule, of course, is that other bad acts are not admissible to prove the bad character of the perpetrator. State v. Roscoe, 145 Ariz. 212, 216, 700 P.2d 1312, 1316 (1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1094, 105 S.Ct. 2169, 85 L.Ed.2d 525 (1985); see also Ariz.R.Evid. 404(b). Thus, in a separate trial for the three murders, the attack on Mrs. V would not be admissible solely to show that Defendant's bad character made it more likely that he committed the murders. Such evidence, however, may be admissible for other purposes, including proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. Ariz. R.Evid. 404(b). We believe that the evidence of the attempted murder was admissible under this rule's identity exception. The identity exception to Ariz. R.Evid. 404(b) applies if identity is in issue, and if the behavior of the accused both on the occasion charged and on some other occasion is sufficiently distinctive, then proof that the accused was involved on the other occasion tends to prove his involvement in the crime charged. Arizona Evidence, § 84, at 183-84. Merely showing that the crimes are of the same nature is insufficient to bring conduct within this exception. Instead, [t]he pattern and characteristics of the crimes must be so unusual and distinctive as to be like a signature. Id. at 185 (quoting Edward W. Cleary et. al., McCormick on Evidence § 190, at 559-60 (3d ed. 1984)); see also Roscoe, 145 Ariz. at 217, 700 P.2d at 1317. In our analysis, therefore, we examine the differences as well as the similarities among the crimes. State v. Jackson, 124 Ariz. 202, 204, 603 P.2d 94, 96 (1979). While identity in every particular is not required, there must be similarities between the offenses in those important aspects `when normally there could be expected to be found differences.' Roscoe, 145 Ariz. at 217, 700 P.2d at 1317 (quoting Jackson, 124 Ariz. at 204, 603 P.2d at 96). We apply this analysis to the facts of this case. As a preliminary matter, we note that the evidence of the attempted murder was sufficient to go to the jury. See State v. Fierro, 166 Ariz. 539, 547, 804 P.2d 72, 80 (1990). Moreover, the features of the attempted murder, when compared to the three completed murders, operate to set these crimes apart from others of the same general variety and point to a single assailant. Cf. Miller, 269 Cal. Rptr. at 509, 790 P.2d at 1306. Although it is true that all murderous attacks will share some characteristics, an examination of the attacks in this case reveals significant similarities and only minor differences. First, the victims in the two sets of cases shared distinct characteristics. The most obvious one is that they were all elderly women. In addition, Mrs. V and the murder victims had something else in common that was less obvious, but more telling  they had all hired Defendant to do yard work for them. During the interview following his arrest, Defendant admitted knowing and working for each of these women, including Mrs. V. Finally, Mrs. V, like the others, lived in roughly the same area. [2] Moreover, Mrs. V's attack shared distinctive features with the murders. Mrs. V, like all three of the murder victims, was attacked in her home. In every case the victims were attacked by hand; the evidence showed that punching was probably common to all of the crimes. In fact, two victims (Mrs. C and Mrs. L) suffered a fractured sternum and fractured ribs that could have been caused by such punching. According to the medical examiner, the sternum is not easily broken; such an injury is commonly found in an automobile accident when the victim slams into a steering wheel. Mrs. V similarly testified that Defendant punched her in the chest about 100 times so hard that she thought each blow would literally break her chest. In addition to the punching, three of the four victims, including Mrs. V, suffered multiple stab wounds. Multiple stabbing, combined with severe manual beating, is an uncommon combination. Another similarity between the murders and the attempted murder was the sexual overtones of the crimes. According to the uncontroverted evidence, Defendant manifested a sexual interest in Mrs. V during the attempted murder. Likewise, there was evidence that the perpetrator of the crimes against Mrs. C and Mrs. L also tried to sexually assault them. Finally, Defendant ate and drank during his gruesome attack on Mrs. V, an unusual feature indeed, and his prints were found all over food-related items at Mrs. W's house. [3] There were, of course, differences as well. Mrs. V lived in a different neighborhood from the murder victims and was attacked about three months later. Also, unlike the murder victims, Mrs. V was not living alone at the time of the attack. Her son was temporarily staying at her house. In addition, the extent and exact type of injury varied among the victims. Finally, the biggest difference, according to Defendant, was that Mrs. V survived her attack, while the others obviously did not. These differences pale to insignificance compared to the similarities. Day, 148 Ariz. at 494, 715 P.2d at 747. The three-month time gap and the different neighborhoods are not so significant as to demand exclusion of the evidence, at least not when considered in conjunction with Defendant's connection with each of the victims. Furthermore, because the victims were attacked by hand, the difference in magnitude and type of injury is likely due to the varying amounts of resistance each victim offered. Finally, we flatly reject that Mrs. V's survival was due to anything other than chance. Defendant beat her severely with his fists, struck her head with a hammer, stabbed her in the chest and neck, and then disabled the telephone. Evidence indicated that, absent immediate medical attention, Mrs. V would not have lived very long. That she had a thickening of the skull, had another telephone, and managed to call for help may have been a miracle  but it is not a distinguishing factor. See State v. Harding, 141 Ariz. 492, 497, 687 P.2d 1247, 1252 (1984) (fortuitous survival of one victim was insufficient to prevent admission of prior bad act). We conclude that the similarities among the crimes were sufficiently distinct for the evidence to fall within the identity exception of Ariz.R.Evid. 404(b). Cf. Miller, 269 Cal. Rptr. at 509-10, 790 P.2d at 1306-07 (numerous similarities among murders and attempted murders of homosexual men); Hall, 307 N.W.2d at 297-99 (numerous similarities among robberies during which one murder and one attempted murder occurred). [4] This, however, does not end our inquiry.