Opinion ID: 2587723
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Evidence Regarding Parole Status

Text: The district court denied Engelhardt's pretrial motion in limine to prevent the jury from hearing testimony regarding statements made at or near the time of the murder about Engelhardt's previous time in prison or his parole status. The court found the statements to be part of the res gestae as well as admissible under K.S.A. 60-455 as relevant to Engelhardt's possible motive, i.e., fear that Michael was a police informant who would report him. Engelhardt contends that this evidence failed to meet the second requirement under K.S.A. 60-455 because motive was not a substantial issue in this case. In his view, motive is merely a form of identity evidence; and the identity of the killer or killers was not in question because numerous witnesses testified Brian and Engelhardt were present when Michael was killed. Engelhardt is mistaken in his assertion that motive evidence is merely a proxy for identity evidence. Although proof of motive can form a part of the State's proof of identity when identity is in question, it also can go far beyond that. Motive supplies the jury with some degree of explanation, responding to a juror's natural tendency to wonder why a defendant behaved in the manner described by the State. Often it is a prominent feature of the State's theory of its case. Motive makes some sense out of what otherwise appear to be completely senseless crimes. See State v. Tolson, 274 Kan. 558, 564, 56 P.3d 279 (2002) (motive shown by longstanding bad blood between an assailant and the victim); State v. Jordan, 250 Kan. 180, Syl. ¶ 8, 825 P.2d 157 (1992) (Motive is that which incites or stimulates a person to do an action.). Engelhardt also emphasizes that there were no previous encounters between himself and the victim, Michael. If this is so, he argues, Michael could not have known he was on parole. Further, he asserts, there was no direct testimony showing he was fearful that Michael might report his parole status; thus, the State's theory about his motive could have been no more than pure supposition, admitted only to inflame the passions of the jury. Engelhardt overlooks ample testimony indirectly supporting the State's theory that he killed Michael because he was afraid Michael was a snitch who would report him as a parole absconder. Engelhardt had questioned Michael about being a narc or a snitch. Striplin indicated that Engelhardt walked by his bedroom, opened the door, looked in, and said that he knew Striplin and that was cool and [Striplin therefore] had nothing to worry about. In addition, the evidence demonstrated Engelhardt had been angry with Drake earlier in the evening  indeed, he and Brian discussed the possibility of killing her  because he suspected she was going to call the police. We are convinced by review of the record that motive, one of the facts enumerated in K.S.A. 60-455, was in issue. Engelhardt's fear of being reported for absconding from parole was a recurring theme in the evidence of the events and conversations leading up to the murder. There was a logical, even necessary, connection between this evidence and the otherwise sudden attack on the victim. See Jordan, 250 Kan. at 191-92 (without prior crimes evidence, jury would have been confused concerning hostility between principal actors). The prejudice from this evidence was not undue; nor did it outweigh its probative value. The district judge had good reason to admit the evidence and did not abuse his discretion in doing so. He gave an appropriate limiting instruction. Given our holding that K.S.A. 60-455 permitted admission of the parole status evidence, we need not address the district judge's further res gestae justification for his ruling.