Opinion ID: 1959182
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficient Evidence to Resubmit c(4)(c)

Text: We find, however, that sufficient evidence was adduced at trial to support the submission to the jury of the c(4)(c) factor at the new sentencing proceeding. A rational jury could find that McDougald intended to and did cause severe physical or mental suffering to his victims. McDougald slit Mr. Bass' throat and stabbed him. He then left the room and came back to bludgeon him with the bat. It is possible that Mr. Bass endured severe physical pain coupled with the suffering of knowing his wife and step-daughter were in grave danger of being killed. Likewise, McDougald inflicted severe injuries on Mrs. Bass, and his insertion of the bat three inches into her vagina accompanied by his statement That's for having Antoinette could have caused her great physical and psychological suffering if she was still able to feel and hear him. Likewise, the jury may have on remand sufficient facts to infer defendant's intent to torture the Basses before killing them. Defendant had repeatedly slashed and bludgeoned the victims before killing them. Walter Bass was awake and knew he was dying and that defendant would also probably kill his wife. The jury could surmise that defendant purposely awoke Mrs. Bass with the first blow to the head and wanted her to know from that point on that she was going to die. Although there are facts that could be interpreted to contradict those elements of c(4)(c), there is sufficient evidence to allow the issue to be submitted to the jury on remand. There is also mixed evidence on the record regarding depravity (e.g., that the killings were purposeless or that there was post-death mutilation). Whether to avenge himself because he believed Antoinette James had caused his wife to leave him, or to avoid prosecution for rape, the State argued that McDougald had a reason for the killings. State v. Rose, supra, 112 N.J. 454, 548 A. 2d 1058 (State acknowledged defendant's purpose by its submission of aggravating factor c(4)(f) to the jury and that necessarily precluded the assertion that this was a motive less killing). The State, in essence, conceded that defendant had a motive for the killings. It is possible, however, that depravity of mind in the sense of defacing a corpse, could be sustained with respect to the murder of Maria Bass. In Ramseur we determined that depravity based on post-death mutilation requires that the murderer intend[ed] to do physical damage to a corpse and that when that harm is done the murderer has intended that it be done specifically upon a corpse. Depravity is not distinguished from aggravated battery and torture by that finely drawn line that is the moment of death. Instead, it is distinguished by the distinct mental state that causes a murderer intentionally to damage a body that he believes is no longer a live human being. [106 N.J. at 210 n. 37, 524 A. 2d 188]. No firm evidence exists that McDougald thought Mrs. Bass was dead when he slit her throat and pushed the bat into her vagina. However, those facts could be seen individually or together as either constituting torture and aggravated battery or else constituting depravity in the form of damage to a corpse.