Opinion ID: 1943965
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Substantial Step Established

Text: The only question at issue is whether a rational trier of fact could have found the State had introduced sufficient credible evidence to establish that Gronenthal had taken action that constituted a substantial step toward killing Smith. The issue of whether the defendant has taken a substantial step such that there is no reasonable doubt as to the defendant's intention to commit the crime is a jury issue dependent upon the surrounding circumstances. [16] In this case, the surrounding circumstances demonstrate that Gronenthal took that step. The record reflects that Gronenthal did not just talk about killing Smith. He repeatedly choked her with his hands and put a pillow over her face. Smith testified that she was initially grabbed from behind and thrown into her room. Gronenthal placed his hands so that they completely enclosed Smith's neck and choked her while he sat on top of her. Then he grabbed a pillow and held it over her face. Although he stopped choking and smothering her for a period of time, Gronenthal later strangled Smith again with even greater force. Gronenthal did not stop choking Smith until she decided to play dead. But when Smith tried to escape, Gronenthal realized that she was not dead and began strangling her for a third time. Gronenthal put the pillow back over Smith's face until her arms and legs felt numb and she lost control of her bodily functions. The police officer who first responded to the scene noticed marks on Smith's neck. He observed bruises that [a]ppeared to be fingerprints or if someone had taken a  some fingernails and gouged them maybe around her neck. Smith's friend, Jones, also noticed marks on Smith's neck and testified that Smith's tongue was so swollen that Smith was having trouble talking. In addition, the nurse who examined Smith at the hospital testified that Smith had abrasions to both sides of her neck and was complaining of a headache. Although the nurse did not report observing a swollen tongue or broken capillaries when she examined Smith, the nurse indicated that some symptoms might not be visible until the next day. Gronenthal's argument that the State failed to prove that he had taken a substantial step toward his goal of killing Smith is without merit. The record reflects that a rational trier of fact, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, could find Gronenthal guilty of Attempted Murder in the First Degree beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, the judgment of conviction for that crime must be affirmed.