Opinion ID: 1607200
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Cynthia Brown Murder

Text: Cynthia Brown died from asphyxia after being smothered by a pillow in a room at the Tradewinds Motel at 4525 Southwest 8th Street. Brown checked into the hotel with her boyfriend Chazre Davis on the evening of July 23, 1998, and her body was found at midday the next day. Brown's and Davis's prints were found on a mirror in the motel room. The medical examiner testified that Brown had petechial hemorrhages in her eyes, inside her upper lip, and on her epiglottis. Brown had small abrasions under her left nostril and on her upper lip. Her lungs were full of fluid due to pulmonary edema. She also had postmortem cuts on the left side of her neck. The bed pillow had small smears of blood on the right side from Brown's face, which was consistent with the small abrasions on her face. The medical examiner stated that all of these findings were consistent with death from asphyxia caused by being smothered with the bed pillow. Toxicology showed that Brown had both cocaine and alcohol in her body at the time of death. However, both the medical examiner and the forensic toxicologist testified that the levels were not life-threatening and Brown did not die from an overdose. During cross-examination, the defense asked the medical examiner about autoerotic asphyxia and if the victim could have died from this rather than being smothered by a pillow. When the defense asked the medical examiner to explain autoerotic asphyxia, the State objected and the court sustained that objection. The court ruled that the defense could ask the medical examiner if it applied in this case, but would have to call its own expert to explain this. The medical examiner opined that it was possible but unlikely that the victim in this case died during a sex act. The defense's inability to question the medical examiner more thoroughly on this topic is one of Smith's claims in this appeal. The legal propriety of this limitation will be discussed in the analysis of that issue below. Brown was the sole witness against Smith in the murder of Dominique Johnson, a nineteen-year-old drug seller who was shot to death in the early morning hours of November 7, 1996, at Northwest 12th Parkway and 62nd Street. Johnson was shot twice in his arms and once through his temple. The gun was one to three inches away when Johnson was shot in the head. Johnson was transported from the scene and pronounced dead at the hospital. No gunshot residue was found on Johnson's hands, indicating that he did not fire a gun. While several people apparently witnessed Johnson's shooting, only Cynthia Brown came forward and identified Smith to the police. Smith was scheduled to be tried for Johnson's murder on July 28, 1997. David Waksman, the prosecutor in Johnson's case, testified in the instant trial that he had to dismiss the charges against Smith when Brown was discovered dead less than a week before the Johnson trial. Waksman testified that Brown was the State's sole witness in the Johnson case. At Smith's trial in the instant case, Shaundreka Anderson, who worked with Johnson at a rival drug hole, testified that she saw Smith and Johnson arguing over money earlier in the day on which Johnson was shot. Smith approached Anderson that night and wanted to know where Johnson was. Smith had a Glock 9 gun in his hand. Smith entered the drug hole where Johnson was located and Anderson heard shots. Anderson found Johnson after he was shot. At the scene, Cynthia Brown told Anderson that she knew who killed Johnson because she had been standing behind a pole when it occurred. Anderson told Brown to mind her own business and advised her not to talk. Anderson testified that she was approached by a number of individuals who said that Smith wanted to see her. Smith offered her $2500 to help him. A few days later, Anderson gave a statement to the police in which she falsely identified another individual as Johnson's shooter. Anderson was so fearful for her safety that she cut off her dreadlocks and shaved her head as a disguise. She also left the area. Demetrius Jones testified that he overheard a heated argument between Smith and Johnson and looked out of his bedroom window to see Smith pull a gun out of his waistband. Jones heard multiple shots and saw Johnson on the ground. Within seconds Brown approached him and said she saw who shot Johnson. Jones also advised Brown to keep silent for her safety. Neither Jones nor Anderson remained at the scene to talk to the police, but Brown did. After Smith was charged with Johnson's murder, Jones agreed to help Smith with his case and gave a deposition to the state attorney in which he lied about Smith's involvement. Jones also admitted that he lied to Smith's defense attorney about the Johnson murder. After Jones gave his deposition and Smith was awaiting trial, Jones did not have to work and was given money from the drug holes. Several witnesses testified that Smith wanted to get rid of the only witness who was going to testify against him in the Johnson murder case. Anthony Fail overheard a conversation between Smith and his mother about how to kill a woman without shooting her. They discussed poison and strangulation. Fail also testified that Smith offered him $50,000 to kill Brown. However, Smith was adamant that he did not want Brown shot and that he did not want the evidence leading back to him. Smith told Fail that the junkie bitch had to go, referring to Brown. Fail did not agree to kill Brown because of this limitation and because he was on house arrest and could not move freely about the community. Fail testified that Smith put aside $20,000 to pay Brown's boyfriend for killing her. Herbert Daniels overheard a conversation between Smith and Brown's boyfriend Davis shortly before Brown was killed. Daniels heard Davis ask Smith what he wanted him to do about Brown. Carlos Walker testified that Smith talked to him about Brown snitching on him. Smith claims that there was a discovery violation by the State relating to Walker's testimony. This is discussed in more detail below. Smith told Walker that Brown had to come up dead for him to win his trial. Walker also heard Smith telling Davis to either suffocate or strangle Brown because he did not want bullets, casings, or other evidence at the scene. Walker admitted that he lied to both Smith's defense attorney and the prosecutors at his deposition when he said that Smith never discussed the Johnson case with him. Walker said he lied out of fear for his life. He said look what happened to Jackie Pope. Tricia Geter testified that Demetrius Jones had been paid by Smith's friend Peggy King to testify on Smith's behalf at the Johnson murder. Geter also testified that Smith asked her if she could obtain pure heroin that could be given to Brown to kill her. Smith stated that he was going to take Brown's life because she was trying to take his. After Brown was killed, Smith told Julian Mitchell that he had to have her killed in order to win his case and now they wouldn't be able to take him. The day after the Johnson case was dismissed, Walker heard Smith say that the State could not hold him and that Davis had handled his business. Geter testified that she saw Davis seeking payment from Smith after Brown was killed. Detective Alphonso testified that he discovered a copy of a deposition and the police report from the Johnson case in the nightstand of Smith's bedroom when he executed a search warrant based on the John Doe investigation. The police report was introduced to prove Smith's knowledge that Brown was the witness against him and his motive for wanting her killed. The trial court denied the defense's hearsay objection to the admission of the report, finding that the report was not admitted to prove the truth of the matter asserted in it, i.e., that Smith shot Johnson. However, the court did agree to redact certain parts of the report. The defense originally refused the court's offer of a limiting instruction to explain how the jury should consider the report. Five days later, the defense asked the court for a limiting instruction and asked that the whole report, rather than the redacted version, be admitted. There was a sidebar discussion of the wording of the limiting instruction and the jury was instructed. The admission of the police report is one of Smith's claims on appeal. The nature of the report and the instruction given is more fully discussed in the analysis of that issue below.