Opinion ID: 423615
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 8 Appellant argues that there was insufficient evidence to convict him of rape and felony murder. To demonstrate that the evidence is sufficient, we find it necessary to set forth here the principal elements of the Government's case and the refutations the defense offers. Although this is a close case, we conclude that the evidence presented, considered in the light most favorable to the Government, was sufficient to permit a jury rationally to conclude that appellant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. See United States v. Sims, 617 F.2d 1371, 1374 (9th Cir.1980); United States v. Nelson, 419 F.2d 1237, 1242 (9th Cir.1969). 9 The evidence whose probative value is disputed consisted of the following: 10 Evidence of Intercourse. Vaginal smears taken from the victim's body disclosed the presence of semen. Appellant's expert testified that the low acid phosphatase level of the smears proves that the victim did not have intercourse within twenty-four hours of death. The Government presented three answers to this. First, the swabs used by appellant's expert to test for semen had thawed in the shipment. Such thawing would significantly lower the acid phosphatase level. In addition, the Government's expert pointed out that low levels of acid phosphatase were not incompatible with the occurrence of a recent act of intercourse. The acid phosphatase level was a function of many other variables. Finally, the Government's toxicologist submitted tests of his own that in fact revealed high levels of acid phosphatase. The jury could accept the Government's theory. 11 Appellant also challenged the results of a Government test showing that the person with whom the victim last had intercourse was, like appellant, a non-secreter (a male who does not secrete his blood type in semen). Only 20 percent of the male population has the non-secreter characteristic. (The defense's principal suspect, FPO Doe, in fact is a secreter.) 12 The defense expert argued that the extremely diluted nature of the tested semen--due to the passage of time, vaginal secretions, and the victim's involuntary urination at the time of death--could have prevented any identification of blood types. The Government gives three answers to the argument that the sample was diluted. First, it noted that appellant's expert witness was unable to tell how long the urine had been on the victim's fabric, so the dilution might not have occurred at the time of death. Second, tests done on semen taken from the victim's slip (upon which no diluting urine was found) also showed that the person with whom she had had intercourse was a non-secreter. Third, the Government claimed to have had a sufficient amount of undiluted semen to test. The resolution of these matters was properly for the jury, and it could accept the Government's theory. 13 Finally, appellant contends that the location of the semen on the victim's underwear indicates that she put her clothes on and walked around after sexual intercourse. This fact, appellant argues, is inconsistent with the Government's theory of how the rape and the murder occurred. The Government notes in reply that the semen on the panties could have been deposited in the course of the struggle preceding the rape, or indeed might stem from an earlier act of intercourse. The issue was one of fact for the jury. 14 Hair Identification Evidence. The defense contends that the Government's hair identification evidence was not probative. The evidence consisted of four head hairs removed from the victim's shawl and one pubic hair taken from the blanket in which the authorities had temporarily wrapped the body. 15 Appellant challenged the accuracy of hair identification in general. His expert contended that, at most, hairs fall within a similar range of characteristics, and that no identical matches are possible. The Government's expert testified that over the course of 50,000 to 60,000 examinations through his career, he was unable to distinguish between hairs taken from different individuals only 50 to 60 times, and that in this case he was quite certain that the hairs in question belonged to the defendant. The jury could choose to believe the Government's contention. 16 Adhesive Residue on Defendant's Pocket Knife. The Government put in evidence the defendant's pocket knife covered with adhesive tape residue. In order to gain access to the Old Customs Building, the killer would have had to cut through some tape tying together the gates that led to the building. The Government pointed out that adhesive residue on the knife seemed to be from a tape just long enough to hold together the two gates. 17 Appellant maintains that his father had used the knife while taping up some paneling in the family garage. Indeed, the adhesive on the two rolls of tape at the Kennedy home also matched the residue found on the tape. Appellant added that the adhesive residue might also have accumulated when he had originally taped the two gates together. Finally, appellant's expert presented photographic evidence to show that the width of the space between the two gates was narrower than the width of the adhesive residue on the appellant's knife. 18 Paint Particles on Defendant's Clothing. The Government submitted into evidence certain pieces of the defendant's clothing containing gray paint particles evidently stemming from the floor of the Old Customs Building where the rape had occurred. Appellant argued that he had not worn the suit on the night in question, and that the paint particles had accumulated on his shoes during routine inspections of the Old Customs Building and had then been transferred from his shoes to his clothing when he took it off. The issue was one for the jury. 19 Evidence Concerning the Time of Death. The time of death became a pivotal issue in the case. If the death occurred, as the Government's expert argued, within 24 to 36 hours before the body was discovered, it points towards appellant's guilt. If the death occurred, as the appellant's expert insisted, within 12 to 24 hours of the body's being found, it points towards innocence as appellant was not on duty at the time. 20 Appellant's expert based his conclusion on an examination of the body's state of rigor mortis. He based his testimony on photographs of the victim. The Government expert, in contrast, had conducted an autopsy. 21 FPO Ferris testified for the defense. He had patrolled the Old Customs Building area on the day after the defendant allegedly committed the murder and did not discover the body. The Government, in turn, suggested that Ferris was not familiar with the area in question. It presented a prior statement by Ferris, made shortly after the body was discovered, in which he fixed a mistaken location for the point the body was discovered. 22 Kool Cigarette Butts. Investigators took four cigarette butts from the scene of the crime. Only cigarette butts that looked fresh were picked up for examination. Each of the fresh butts was a Kool, the brand smoked by the appellant. FPO Doe, the Government noted, was a nonsmoker. 23 Appellant argues the Kool butts could have been left there by the actual perpetrator (in its contention, FPO Doe) in order to frame him. He argues that he would not have been foolish enough to leave butts from Kool cigarettes--a relatively uncommon brand--scattered about the crime scene. The Government counters that someone hurriedly covering up a crime may make mistakes, and the trier of fact was entitled to adopt this view. 24 The Government's case rests upon an accumulation of evidence. While we concede that no single evidentiary item listed above would support the jury's verdict, the accumulation of it does. The evaluation of the evidence is the principal task of the jury. We cannot say that the jury's verdict was unsupported even by the standard for criminal cases which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.