Opinion ID: 1790359
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: admission of firearms unrelated to the crime

Text: The Appellant next contends that the trial court erred in permitting the Commonwealth to introduce the handgun, shotgun and rifle owned by the Appellant in October of 1980, absent evidence that any of the firearms were involved in the murder of Marlene. We have upheld the admission of weapons into evidence based upon testimony that the weapon was the one used in the commission of the offense, Beason v. Commonwealth, 548 S.W.2d 835 (Ky.1977), or that it was of the same size and shape as the weapon used in the commission of the offense, Sweatt v. Commonwealth, 550 S.W.2d 520 (Ky.1977); or that it was found at the scene of the offense and was capable of inflicting the type of injury sustained by the victim, Barth v. Commonwealth, 80 S.W.3d 390 (Ky.2001). However, weapons, which have no relation to the crime, are inadmissible. Gerlaugh v. Commonwealth, 156 S.W.3d 747 (Ky.2005). Thus, it was error to introduce these weapons without connection to the crime.