Opinion ID: 1819029
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: State material witness Kayfen Fulgham

Text: ¶ 34. Howard asserts that his trial counsel failed to conduct an adequate investigation into the guilt phase of the trial. Howard's basis for this particular argument is that Kayfen Fulgham allegedly gave perjured testimony at Howard's trial. Howard apparently contends that by conducting an adequate investigation, trial counsel would have known of Fulgham's bias and credibility issues and would have done a better job cross-examining her. ¶ 35. The record reveals that Fulgham and Howard had a romantic relationship in the early 1970s. Fulgham and Howard are the parents of a daughter named Kathy. At trial, Fulgham testified that she and Howard had another romantic relationship which lasted a couple of months and ended at the end of January 1992. She testified that Howard liked to bite her breasts and neck during sexual intercourse. She testified that she did not see Howard on the day of the murder, but she did see him around 10:00 a.m. on the day after the murder. She testified that he smelled like smoke and it was wood like smoke. ¶ 36. Howard now contends that Fulgham's testimony was perjured and that this perjured testimony was the result of knowing and deliberate coercive efforts by the Lowndes County District Attorney [Allgood] and [police investigator] David Turner. In support of these allegations, Howard offers the affidavit of Robert Ryan, Director of the MOCPCC. Ryan states that he has interviewed Kathy, Howard's daughter, twice. Ryan's affidavit states, in pertinent part, Kathy was asked by the affiant if Fulgham had ever discussed with her the petitioner's case and her live testimony at the trial. Kathy responded in the affirmative and informed the affiant that [Fulgham] had told her that she had been threatened by District Attorney Forrest Allgood and if she did not testify as he had directed her to, he would have her arrested and locked up. Kathy further stated that Fulgham told her that District Attorney Allgood and then Investigator David Turner were in possession of a tape recording that they would use against her if she did not testify as directed. The gist of Kathy's statement to the affiant was that Fulgham had offered untruthful testimony regarding material matters at the petitioner's trial.    The affiant requested of Kathy that she provide the affiant with an affidavit stating the substance of her conversations with Fulgham but she refused to do so. The reason given for her refusal was her fear of reprisals from District Attorney Forrest Allgood and unnamed members of the Columbus Police Department. Howard further states that Fulgham has refused to talk or meet with his post-conviction counsel to discuss her testimony. [10] ¶ 37. As further proof that Fulgham's testimony was false, Howard offers his own affidavit in which he states that he saw Fulgham at a get-together at his sisters' home on the night of the murder, [11] that he did not see Fulgham on February 3, 1992, and that he did not smell like smoke of any kind. Howard also offers the affidavits of two of his sisters, his sisters' statements given to police during the investigation of the crime, his nephew's affidavit, and Yolanda Wells' statement to police. Each of these documents discuss the get-together at the sisters' apartment. All of these documents state that Howard was at the get-together. All, but Wells' statement, also state that Fulgham stopped by the apartment during the get-together and spoke with Howard. ¶ 38. In response, the State offers the affidavits of Allgood and David Turner. In his affidavit, Allgood states, in pertinent part, at some time subsequent to that date, Kathy . . . appeared at my office. . . . [Kathy] was quite irate and told us that that man had been harassing her mother. She related that these people were telling her mother that she, [Kathy], would be arrested if she didn't talk to them. When we questioned her about what man that might be, she told us that it was that lawyer for Eddie Lee Howard.    I have never at any time threatened a witness. It is asserted in the Petition that I did so to compel Kayfen Fulgham to testify. Specifically, it is alleged that I threatened her with prosecution and waived some videotape in front of her as if it were evidence. That simply never happened. In his affidavit, Turner states, in pertinent part, During the course of this investigation, it was learned that . . . Fulgham had relative information regarding this case. I personally interviewed . . . Fulgham on several occasions in the presence of other Columbus Police Department Detectives. These interviews were conducted at the Columbus Police Department, the Lowndes County Court House, and at the home of Ms. Fulgham. Ms. Fulgham's interviews were given of her own free will and without any pressures, threats, or coercion. At no time was Ms. Fulgham threatened to be arrested and/or locked up if she refused to testify as directed by [Allgood] and/or others against Eddie Lee Howard. Furthermore, a tape recording was never utilized against Ms. Fulgham indicating that if she did not testify as directed, it would be used against her. ¶ 39. The State additionally argues that even if Fulgham's testimony was false, that does not support a finding of ineffective assistance of counsel. The State offers trial counsel Kesler's affidavit as support. In his affidavit, Kesler states that he was aware of Fulgham as a witness prior to Howard's first trial and he prepared for her testimony before the second trial. He admits that his strategies to attack her testimony did not work very well. His affidavit further states, in pertinent part, I have no knowledge of the allegation that Fulgham was coerced by David Turner and Forrest Allgood. My opinion is that such an allegation is absurd. My recollection is that by the time of the second trial, David Turner was employed by a federal law enforcement agency and was not living in Columbus, Mississippi, and traveled from out of state to testify at the second trial. Assuming that coercion was employed, I am at a loss to know how I would have discovered same. ¶ 40. In order to prove ineffective assistance of counsel, Howard must show that his counsels' performance was deficient and that such deficiency prejudiced his defense. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. at 2064. Howard cannot prove that counsels' failure to discover alleged coerced perjured testimony was deficient performance. Accordingly, the petition is denied as to this issue.