Opinion ID: 2301325
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: comparison of agreed-on cases

Text: Of those defendants in the agreed-on group, only one, Nathaniel Harvey, received a death sentence, and he is far more culpable than Papasavvas. Although Papasavvas was found guilty of sexual contact, Harvey's first jury (he was sentenced to death on two occasions) indicated by its C(4)(c) finding (torture/depravity) that his crime was much more brutal. He inflicted sixteen wounds on his victim, whose teeth and jaw were broken and whose skull was split open by a hammer or lead pipe. After murdering her, Harvey washed her body and changed the bloody sheets on her bed to avoid detection. When we reviewed Harvey's proportionality claim, we also emphasized that the break-in of his victim's apartment was not an impulsive act and that he previously had committed numerous burglaries. Harvey III, supra, 159 N.J. at 318, 731 A. 2d 1121. Likewise, Harvey could not have been surprised by his victim because he burglarized her bedroom at night. With respect to his character, we found that it contributes greatly to his moral blameworthiness. Defendant's prior record is extensive and involves convictions for serious, violent crimes. On May 31, 1979, defendant pleaded guilty to rape, atrocious assault and battery. In October 1988, he pleaded guilty to first degree kidnaping and aggravating sexual assault. He also pleaded guilty to second degree attempted kidnaping, second degree burglary, and third degree burglary. He also was convicted of receiving stolen property. Defendant has broken into homes other than Schnaps's: on the day of his arrest he broke into two homes. In one house, he attacked a couple with an ax; in another, he attempted to abduct a teenaged girl. Also, he later confessed to committing a number of burglaries in West Windsor. Harvey II, supra, 151 N.J. at 117, 699 A. 2d 596. Suffice it to say, Nathaniel Harvey is a very dangerous man who has kidnaped, raped, robbed and killed. With respect to remorse, there is scant, if any, evidence of it. In his statement in allocution, he expressed no remorse for murdering Irene. Nor did he express any shame or humility for the pain and suffering he inflicted in Schnaps's family. Finally, there in little hope of rehabilitation for Harvey. His prior record reveals that he has chosen for himself a life of violent crime. He has multiple convictions for rape, assault and kidnaping. The murder of Irene Schnaps was the culmination of an escalating pattern of violence. Defendant had been paroled in May 1983 for his sentence of fifteen to twenty years for rape. Irene Schnaps was killed a little over two years later. Unfortunately, his four years in prison had little deterrent or rehabilitative effect on defendant. [ Harvey III, supra, 159 N.J. at 314-15, 731 A. 2d 1121.] By contrast, Papasavvas' break-in of Mrs. Place's home appears to have been impulsive, and he killed her after she surprised him as he was hiding in her basement. Moreover, Harvey was significantly older than Papasavvas, did not suffer from a mental disease or defect, and was not abused as a child. Finally, unlike Papasavvas, Harvey did not express remorse for his crime. We conclude that Harvey's age, character, violent record, brutal crime and lack of capacity for rehabilitation render him far more culpable and more deathworthy than Papasavvas and that his sentence supports Papasavvas's disproportionality contention. In certain respects, Alvin Adams, the first agreed-on life-sentenced defendant, also is more culpable than Papasavvas. Unlike Papasavvas, Adams planned his burglary and knew in advance that the victim was an elderly female. Adams also had a record of prior violent offenses and was thirty-three years old at the time of the murder. On the other hand, Adams did not have sexual contact with his victim. Further, Adams was diagnosed as mentally retarded. We thus conclude that Adams's life sentence does not support Papasavvas's claim of disproportionality. The degree of victimization in Jerry Britton's case was at least as high as in Papasavvas's case. Britton unexpectedly confronted his victim when he broke into her home for the second time. He then choked and punched her before stabbing her sixteen times. In addition, the police found her naked from the waist down, indicating that some type of sexual abuse had occurred. On the other hand, apart from his drug addiction, Britton's case contains virtually none of the mitigating evidence present here, in particular the evidence of brain damage, child abuse, and mental illness. Therefore, life-sentenced Britton is more deathworthy than Papasavvas and supports Papasavvas's disproportionality claim. There are substantial similarities between Alphonso Brunson and Papasavvas. Both men endured child abuse and displayed signs of emotional and psychological disturbance. In addition, both men were in their early twenties when they committed their respective murders and had prior criminal records. Although, Brunson is more culpable in that he never confessed to murdering the victim, he murdered his victim in a less brutal manner and there was no evidence of sexual abuse. Therefore, Brunson's life sentence provides limited support for Papasavvas's disproportionality claim. The degree of victimization in Jesus DeJesus's case is similar to Papasavvas's. Although DeJesus did not sexually abuse his victim, he stabbed her and set her apartment on fire before leaving with some of her jewelry. Like Papasavvas, DeJesus had a prior criminal record. However, DeJesus was considerably older than Papasavvas and had little by way of mitigating evidence. He was drinking regularly around the time of the murder, but he denied having a drug problem. In addition, there was no evidence of child abuse, brain damage, or emotional disturbance. DeJesus's life sentence supports Papasavvas's claim of disproportionality. Franklin Flowers Hudson's moral blameworthiness is similar to Papasavvas's moral blameworthiness. Both individuals acted out of a pecuniary motive and were approximately the same age at the time of their respective crimes. Although Hudson did not have a history of mental disease, he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol when he attacked his victim. With respect to degree of victimization, Hudson stabbed his victim and struck him over the head with a baseball bat. Hudson also tied up and gagged another individual during the robbery. As for character, Hudson cooperated with authorities by admitting to everything except stealing the homeowner's jewelry. By comparison, Papasavvas continues to contend that Mrs. Place's death was an accident. Hudson and Papasavvas both have criminal records. In short, Hudson and Papasavvas are roughly equivalent. Thus, Hudson's life sentence supports Papasavvas's claim of disproportionality. Timothy Lee had no history of mental disease, but was addicted to heroin when he committed his murder. In contrast to Papasavvas, the degree of victimization was low in Lee's case. The victim died from a single stab wound to the chest. Like Papasavvas, Lee had a prior criminal record. Due primarily to the degree of victimization, Lee's sentence does not support Papasavvas's claim of disproportionality. Unlike Papasavvas, Gerald Williams entered the apartment of his victim intending to steal, fully aware of the fact that someone was home. Williams's case is further distinguished by his age (thirty-four at the time of the murder) and the lack of any evidence of child abuse or mental illness. However, Williams was drinking on the night of the murder, and so the AOC coded the c(5)(d) (mental disease, defect, or intoxication) factor as being present. Of greater significance, he threw the victim out a third floor window to his death on the pavement and allowed his eight year-old daughter to watch as he committed the crime. Williams also did not confess to the murder. Together, those factors make the life-sentenced Williams more deathworthy than Papasavvas. Thomas Wolfe has a higher level of moral blameworthiness than Papasavvas. Both men murdered elderly females for pecuniary gain. However, Wolfe was classified as emotionally disturbed as a child and had an extensive history of drug abuse, whereas Papasavvas presented more compelling evidence of brain damage and child abuse. With respect to degree of victimization, Wolfe slashed his victim's throat several times, a grotesque injury, and inflicted numerous puncture wounds to her back, leaving her to bleed to death slowly. See Chew II, supra, 159 N.J. at 219, 731 A. 2d 1070 (declaring Chew's sentence proportional in part because of the victim's agony as a result of her throat being slit). To his credit, Wolfe exhibited a more positive character than Papasavvas, having engaged in a number of good Samaritan-type acts prior to his crime which, viewed in conjunction with the absence of a prior criminal record, demonstrates an increased potential for rehabilitation. Overall, however, Wolfe is no less deathworthy than Papasavvas, and therefore his life sentence supports Papasavvas's claim of disproportionality.