Opinion ID: 8065939
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: analysis

Text: In this appeal, Keadle does not argue that the evidence adduced at trial was insufficient to convict him of second degree murder. 3 Instead, his only assignment of error is that the evidence adduced was insufficient to establish the corpus delicti of homicide beyond a reasonable doubt. We limit our analysis accordingly, and we begin with a review of the corpus delicti requirement in Nebraska. 1. Corpus Delicti [2] The “corpus delicti” is the body or substance of the crime—the fact that a crime has been committed, without regard to the identity of the person committing it. 4 For more than a century, Nebraska cases have recognized a corpus delicti requirement for criminal convictions. 5 While we have considered the corpus delicti requirement in cases involving murder, 6 1 State v. Hassan, 309 Neb. 644, 962 N.W.2d 210 (2021). 2 State v. Stack, 307 Neb. 773, 950 N.W.2d 611 (2020). 3 See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-304(1) (Reissue 2016) (“[a] person commits murder in the second degree if he [or she] causes the death of a person intentionally, but without premeditation”). 4 State v. Edwards, 278 Neb. 55, 65, 767 N.W.2d 784, 795 (2009). 5 See, e.g., Dodge v. The People, 4 Neb. 220, 230-31 (1876) (“[a] confession alone ought not to be sufficient evidence of the corpus delicti. There should be other proof that a crime has actually been committed, and the confession should only be allowed for the purpose of connecting the defendant with the offense”). 6 See, e.g., State v. Golyar, 301 Neb. 488, 919 N.W.2d 133 (2018); Edwards, supra note 4; Gallegos v. State, 152 Neb. 831, 43 N.W.2d 1 (1950); Egbert v. State, 113 Neb. 790, 205 N.W. 252 (1925); Cryderman v. State, 101 Neb. 85, 161 N.W. 1045 (1917). - 931 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 we have also considered it in cases involving receiving a stolen automobile, 7 larceny, 8 forgery, 9 arson, 10 embezzlement of public money, 11 possession of cocaine, 12 destruction of property, 13 and leaving the scene of an accident, 14 to name a few. [3-5] We have described the corpus delicti requirement as being composed of two elements: the fact or result forming the basis of a charge and the existence of a criminal agency as the cause thereof. 15 Nebraska requires that the corpus delicti of a crime must be established by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, but it may be proved by either direct or circumstantial evidence. 16 Circumstantial evidence is evidence which, without going directly to prove the existence of a fact, gives rise to a logical inference that such fact exists. 17 [6] When describing the type of evidence that will satisfy the corpus delicti requirement, our rule has changed over time. 18 7 Limmerick v. State, 120 Neb. 558, 234 N.W. 98 (1931). 8 Smith v. State, 17 Neb. 358, 22 N.W. 780 (1885). 9 Blacker v. State, 74 Neb. 671, 105 N.W. 302 (1905). 10 Maher v. State, 144 Neb. 463, 13 N.W.2d 641 (1944). 11 Haines v. State, 170 Neb. 304, 102 N.W.2d 609 (1960). 12 State v. Thompson, 244 Neb. 189, 505 N.W.2d 673 (1993). 13 State v. Babajamia, 223 Neb. 804, 394 N.W.2d 289 (1986). 14 State v. Nichols, 175 Neb. 761, 123 N.W.2d 860 (1963). 15 Edwards, supra note 4. 16 Id. See, also, State v. Stubbendieck, 302 Neb. 702, 924 N.W.2d 711 (2019); Golyar, supra note 6; Gallegos, supra note 6. 17 Stubbendieck, supra note 16. 18 Compare rule as explained in Dodge, supra note 5 (providing that corpus delicti must be proved by evidence other than defendant’s confession), with Limmerick, supra note 7 (providing that confessions may be considered with other evidence to establish corpus delicti), and Egbert, supra note 6, 113 Neb. at 795, 205 N.W. at 254 (providing that corpus delicti may be proved by extrajudicial confession along with “slight corroborating circumstances”). - 932 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 But our modern cases recite that although a conviction cannot be sustained solely upon a defendant’s extrajudicial admission or voluntary confession, “either or both are competent evidence of [corpus delicti] and may, with corroborative evidence of facts and circumstances, establish the corpus delicti and guilty participation of the defendant.” 19 [7-9] In homicide cases, the corpus delicti requirement is not established until it is proved that a human being is dead and that the death occurred as a result of the criminal agency of another. 20 But “the body of a missing person is not required to prove the corpus delicti for homicide.” 21 We have explained that “[t]o require that the victim’s body be discovered would be unreasonable; it would mean that a murderer could escape punishment by successfully disposing of the body, no matter how complete and convincing the other evidence of guilt.” 22 Moreover, the failure to recover a body may, itself, be circumstantial evidence of corpus delicti: “The fact that [the victim’s] body was never recovered would justify an inference by the jury that death was caused by a criminal agency. It is highly unlikely that a person who dies from natural causes will successfully dispose of his [or her] own body. Although such a result may be a theoretical possibility, it is contrary to the normal course of human affairs. “The fact that a murderer may successfully dispose of the body of the victim does not entitle him [or her] to an 19 Stubbendieck, supra note 16, 302 Neb. at 719, 924 N.W.2d at 724. See, also, Egbert, supra note 6. 20 Edwards, supra note 4. See, also, Golyar, supra note 6; Gallegos, supra note 6. 21 Edwards, supra note 4, 278 Neb. at 66, 767 N.W.2d at 796. 22 Id. - 933 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 acquittal. That is one form of success for which society has no reward.” 23 We have, in two prior cases, found that circumstantial evidence associated with a missing person’s disappearance was sufficient to establish a death by criminal agency, and thus sufficient to establish the corpus delicti of homicide. 24 Both cases are instructive. In State v. Edwards, 25 the victim disappeared suddenly after telling a friend that she was on her way to see the defend­ant. The defendant was charged with murder in connection with the victim’s disappearance, and the jury ultimately convicted him of second degree murder. On appeal, the defendant argued there was insufficient evidence to establish the corpus delicti of homicide, because the victim’s body had not been found, he had not confessed to the victim’s murder, and there was no direct evidence that any death was caused by criminal agency. [10,11] We found there was sufficient circumstantial evidence to prove corpus delicti, explaining: The law is clear that in the absence of a body, confession, or other direct evidence of death, circumstantial evidence may be sufficient to support a conviction for murder. There is no reason to treat the crime of murder differently from other crimes when considering the use of circumstantial evidence to establish their commission, 23 Id. at 66-67, 767 N.W.2d at 796, quoting People v. Manson, 71 Cal. App. 3d 1, 139 Cal. Rptr. 275 (1977). See, also, Limmerick, supra note 7, 120 Neb. at 560, 234 N.W. at 99 (remarking that “[g]uilty men would often escape just punishment if the rule prevailed, as in early times, that a conviction could not be obtained in a homicide case unless the corpus delicti was proved by direct evidence which necessitated the finding of the victim’s body in every case” and that such a rule “made murderers safe if the body of the victim was burned or placed in the bottom of the sea”). 24 See, Golyar, supra note 6; Edwards, supra note 4. 25 Edwards, supra note 4. - 934 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 and “[t]he presence or absence of a particular item of evidence is not controlling. The question is whether from all of the evidence it can reasonably be inferred that death occurred and that it was caused by a criminal agency.” The presence of a confession, admission, or incriminating statement is a distinction without a difference. 26 In discussing the circumstantial evidence establishing the corpus delicti, Edwards noted there was evidence that the victim’s habits and relationships had been abruptly severed without explanation, that she had abandoned all of her personal effects and her pet, and that she had not picked up her paycheck or used her bank account since her disappearance. We described this as persuasive circumstantial evidence of an involuntary disappearance and death by foul play. Additionally, Edwards noted that evidence of “what was almost certainly [the victim’s] blood . . . found in [the defend­ ant’s] bedroom and the trunk of his automobile is highly suggestive of an unlawful killing.” 27 Edwards also found circumstantial evidence of corpus delicti based on evidence that the defendant had taken steps to conceal the victim’s disappearance and to cover up the blood evidence, explaining that the “fact that such evidence also bears on who is guilty does not detract from its efficacy at establishing the corpus delicti.” 28 Edwards thus concluded that despite the absence of a confession or admission from the defendant, the circumstantial evidence was easily sufficient to prove the corpus delicti of homicide. In State v. Golyar, 29 the victim also disappeared suddenly and unexpectedly and her body was never found. Four years later, the defendant, who considered the victim a romantic rival, was charged with first degree murder in connection 26 Id. at 68-69, 767 N.W.2d at 797. 27 Id. at 67, 767 N.W.2d at 797. 28 Id. at 68, 767 N.W.2d at 797. 29 Golyar, supra note 6. - 935 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 with the victim’s disappearance. The defendant was convicted after a bench trial, and she appealed, arguing, among other things, that the evidence was insufficient to prove the victim was dead. Our opinion in Golyar cited Edwards for the settled propositions that the body of a missing person is not required to prove the corpus delicti of homicide and that circumstantial evidence associated with the victim’s disappearance can be sufficient to establish the victim’s death. With respect to corpus delicti, the defendant in Golyar was challenging only the sufficiency of proof that a death had occurred, and we limited our analysis accordingly. We noted there was evidence that the victim abruptly ended her contacts with her teenage son, her parents, her employer, and her boyfriend, and had not been seen for years. There was evidence that the victim’s money had not been accessed since her disappearance, aside from the use of her debit card on one occasion (which was later linked to the defendant). The victim’s own blood was found in her abandoned vehicle. There was evidence that the defendant had been posing as the victim online and in social media in an attempt to conceal the victim’s disappearance. And there were photographs of what appeared to be body parts with tattoos identical to those of the victim discovered on the memory card from a cell phone belonging to the defendant. We concluded that a rational trier of fact, viewing this circumstantial evidence in the light most favorable to the State, could have concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim was no longer alive. In this case, Keadle argues that the State failed to prove the corpus delicti of homicide beyond a reasonable doubt. When making this argument below, Keadle purported to rely primarily upon our well-settled rule that criminal convictions cannot be sustained solely upon extrajudicial admissions or confessions. 30 To that end, Keadle urged that if his 30 See Stubbendieck, supra note 16. - 936 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 extrajudicial admissions had been excluded from consideration, the remaining evidence adduced by the State would have been insufficient to establish that Thomas’ death was the result of criminal conduct. But he did not preserve such an argument for appeal. In neither his appellate briefing, nor during his oral argument, did Keadle argue that the district court erred in considering his extrajudicial admissions when it determined that the evidence was sufficient to establish the corpus delicti of homicide. Instead, he argues more broadly that the evidence adduced at trial was insufficient to prove the corpus delicti of homicide beyond a reasonable doubt. In that respect, the corpus delicti arguments he raises now resemble those raised in Edwards and Golyar. We pause here to observe that in a case where the conviction is not based solely on a confession or extrajudicial admission, it is not clear what purpose the corpus delicti requirement serves that is not already served by requiring the State to prove each material element of the charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. But ultimately, because no one here has asked us to reconsider the utility of the corpus delicti requirement in such a case, that is a question for another day. With this background in mind, we now turn to Keadle’s argument that the evidence in this case was insufficient to prove the corpus delicti of homicide. 2. Evidence of Corpus Delicti To determine whether the corpus delicti requirement was satisfied in this case, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the State and consider whether any rational trier of fact could have found that Thomas is dead and that her death resulted from a criminal act. 31 On this record, we find ample circumstantial evidence to prove the corpus delicti of homicide beyond a reasonable doubt. 31 See, Golyar, supra note 6; Edwards, supra note 4. - 937 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 The evidence showed that Thomas was a young, active college student who regularly participated in extracurricular activities, often spoke with family members, and socialized with peers. But since Thomas’ disappearance on December 3, 2010, none of her friends or family members have heard from her. Her habits and relationships were abruptly severed without explanation, and she left behind her driver’s license, birth certificate, Social Security card, keys, debit cards, a gift card, and a sizable check. Her credit history shows no financial activity since her disappearance, aside from a failure to pay student loans. Based upon this evidence, a reasonable fact finder could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Thomas is dead. However, we do not understand Keadle’s argument on appeal to dispute there was sufficient evidence that Thomas is dead. Instead, the primary focus of his argument is that the evidence adduced was insufficient to prove that her death was the result of a criminal act. Keadle argues that unlike Edwards, the State offered “no blood evidence, other biological evidence, or any other kind of physical evidence” 32 to suggest Thomas’ death was caused by a criminal act. Keadle is correct that Edwards found bloodstain evidence to be persuasive circumstantial proof that the victim in that case was dead and that her death was the result of the criminal act of another. But Edwards neither mandated nor suggested that blood or other biological evidence must be present for the State to prove corpus delicti in a homicide case where the body is never found. To the contrary, Edwards clarified that “‘[t]he presence or absence of a particular item of evidence is not controlling’” 33 as to whether the corpus delicti requirement has been satisfied. The fact that the circumstantial evidence in this case did not include blood or DNA evidence is simply not dispositive of the corpus delicti requirement. Instead, “‘[t]he 32 Brief for appellant at 72. 33 Edwards, supra note 4, 278 Neb. at 68, 767 N.W.2d at 797, quoting People v. Bolinski, 260 Cal. App. 2d 705, 67 Cal. Rptr. 347 (1968). - 938 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 question is whether from all of the evidence it can reasonably be inferred that death occurred and that it was caused by a criminal agency.’” 34 We find ample circumstantial evidence to support the conclusion that Thomas died as a result of a criminal act. First, the fact that Thomas’ body was never recovered is, in and of itself, circumstantial evidence that her death was caused by a criminal act. As noted in Edwards, “‘[i]t is highly unlikely that a person who dies from natural causes will successfully dispose of his [or her] own body.’” 35 Moreover, the fact that Thomas was a social, active young woman with many close personal relationships makes it unlikely that without another’s involvement, she would simply disappear without a trace. There was also physical evidence supporting criminal activity in this case. As noted, law enforcement observed what appeared to be drag marks leading to the river in the area where Keadle admitted being with Thomas on the night she disappeared. And Keadle’s own admissions provide strong circumstantial evidence that Thomas’ death resulted from criminal acts which he committed. Keadle admitted that he saw Thomas walking to her dorm the night she disappeared and that he thought she looked intoxicated. Keadle admitted that even though he and Thomas did not get along, he picked her up in his vehicle, drove her to the river, and engaged in sexual activity with her. He also admitted that he and Thomas had a physical altercation at the river, that Thomas may have sustained bruising during the altercation, and that during the altercation, Thomas threatened to accuse him of rape. He admitted that he left Thomas at the river after the altercation and that he drove back to his dorm where he showered to “get [Thomas’] DNA off of him,” before heading back to the river a second time. This timeline was corroborated by the bank surveillance video. Keadle also admitted to police that he was concerned 34 Id. 35 Id. at 66, 767 N.W.2d at 796, quoting Manson, supra note 23. - 939 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 about his criminal liability and had researched whether fingerprints can show up on bodies that have been submerged in water. From these admissions, a rational trier of fact could infer that when Keadle left the river that night, he did not leave Thomas alive. Moreover, in the days following Thomas’ disappearance, Keadle tried to procure an alibi from two PSC students and asked another student to hold a gun for him. And after Thomas’ disappearance, Keadle told his cellmate that he “‘[f]ucked [Thomas] and left her at the dock,’” but “‘will never go to prison because they will never find the body.’” Based on this evidence, a rational trier of fact could find beyond a reasonable doubt that Thomas’ death was the result of Keadle’s criminal agency. On this record, we find the evidence adduced at trial was easily sufficient to establish the corpus delicti of homicide beyond a reasonable doubt. Keadle’s sole assignment of error is without merit. For the sake of completeness, we note that Keadle also argues that the circumstantial evidence adduced at trial may support noncriminal explanations for Thomas’ death, including that she “may have purposely or accidentally hurt herself.” 36 Keadle points to evidence that Thomas was experiencing relationship problems and that on the night of her disappearance, she was intoxicated, angry, and “inappropriately dressed for the cold.” 37 He argues that “[s]he was so desperate to get to Omaha, she offered a sexual favor to someone she disliked.” 38 And he suggests that after she was “[l]eft at the river in the cold and the darkness while drunk and angry, anything could have happened to her. She might have fallen in the river. She might have jumped in the river.” 39 36 Brief for appellant at 72. 37 Id. at 73. 38 Id. 39 Id. - 940 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 311 Nebraska Reports STATE v. KEADLE Cite as 311 Neb. 919 [12] Keadle made similar arguments to the jury in this case, and the jury rejected those arguments by returning a verdict finding Keadle guilty of second degree murder. Moreover, to the extent Keadle is suggesting that in order to prove the corpus delicti of homicide using circumstantial evidence, the State had to disprove all theories inconsistent with criminal agency, he is simply incorrect. Nebraska has rejected the accused’s rule, and thus has abandoned “‘any notion that before an accused may be convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence alone, the State must disprove every hypothesis but that of guilt.’” 40 The accused’s rule has no application when reviewing the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence to support a criminal conviction, and it has no application when reviewing the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence to establish corpus delicti.