Opinion ID: 1719045
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admissibility of the Pictures, Shirt, Etc.

Text: The State was allowed to introduce the bloody shirt of the victim, the butcher knife with which he was stabbed, the shoestring with which he was strangled, and six photographs of the corpse. Oliver asserts that the prejudice outweighs the probative value, indeed that there is no probative value at all where the manner and method of the killing were never contested. She contends that, because her defense was that she was forced to participate through fear of her brother, the pictures and other items were not relevant as to her. Oliver suggests that prejudicial pictures be permitted only if they are probative and if the matter cannot be shown in some other, less prejudicial way. This court's review is limited. The Iowa cases are unanimous in according the trial court considerable discretion. As we said in State v. Chadwick, 328 N.W.2d 913, 916-17 (Iowa 1983), [t]he test for admission of such evidence is two-fold: (1) the evidence must be relevant and (2) if the evidence is relevant the trial court must determine whether the probative value of the exhibits outweighs the prejudice which would be caused by their admission into evidence. (Citation omitted.) Accord, State v. Hickman, 337 N.W.2d 512, 515-16 (Iowa 1983); State v. Aswegan, 331 N.W.2d 93, 97 (Iowa 1983). The State argues that the photographs were probative of the elements of malice, premeditation, deliberation, willfulness, and specific intent to kill. The shirt was relevant for the same reasons, and also to show the time and cause of death. (The shirt was identified as the one Kimsey was wearing on the day of the murder; the amount of blood on the shirt showed Kimsey was still alive when the wound was inflicted.) It is true that this defendant did not challenge the State's proof of the elements of murder, but merely claimed she was forced to participate. The jury was not obliged to limit her culpability by the extent of her own state of mind, however; it could also have found her guilty as an aider and abettor, which makes the state of mind of her principal relevant as to her. We believe the evidence in question probative to show the necessary elements of murder, and although the exhibits were gruesome, any prejudice in admitting them did not outweigh their probative value. The court did not abuse its discretion in admitting them. Having found no reversible error, we affirm the conviction. AFFIRMED.