Opinion ID: 213950
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Death Resulted from the Kidnapping

Text: That the term person does not necessarily include fetuses does not preclude a finding that Stinnett's death resulted from the kidnapping. The plain language of the statute reflects congressional judgment that the punishment for committing the crime of kidnapping should be more severe if the crime, as actually perpetrated, includes conduct that results in the death of any person. We have interpreted the term results broadly, stating that the statute requires only that `the death of any person results' in the course of the kidnapping. United States v. Barraza, 576 F.3d 798, 807 (8th Cir.2009) (quoting 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a)). A comparison to felony murder is instructive. Felony murder is the unlawful killing of a human being committed in the perpetration of, or attempt to perpetrate, any arson, escape, murder, kidnapping, treason, espionage, sabotage, aggravated sexual abuse or sexual abuse, child abuse, burglary, or robbery. 18 U.S.C. § 1111(a). The federal statute is similar to the common law felony-murder rule, which requires that a killing occur in the commission or attempted commission of certain felonies. See 2 Wayne R. Lafave, Substantive Criminal Law § 14.5 (2d ed. 2003). Common law felony murder requires a temporal and causal connection between the death and the felony, but the death and the felony need not occur in a particular sequence. Id. Accordingly, the death may precede the felony and nonetheless constitute a killing that occurred in the commission or attempted commission of the felony. See, e.g., State v. Jacques, 270 Kan. 173, 14 P.3d 409, 422 (2000) (When applying the felony-murder rule, . . . the felony and the victim's death do not need to occur simultaneously, nor does the felony need to occur before the death.); People v. Jones, 86 Ill.App.3d 253, 41 Ill.Dec. 733, 408 N.E.2d 79, 83 (1980) (The acts causing death need not coincide with the felony as to time of occurrence but may occur before or after the felony.), rev'd in part, 85 Ill.2d 559, 62 Ill.Dec. 171, 435 N.E.2d 1143 (1981). Similarly, we conclude that a death may precede the completion of the crime of kidnapping, but nonetheless result from the kidnapping. Stinnett's death occurred during the kidnapping and resulted from the acts required to complete the kidnapping. Montgomery asks us to view Stinnett's death and Victoria Jo's kidnapping as entirely distinct crimes, with the death preceding the kidnapping. To do so, we would have to disregard that the death and kidnapping occurred almost simultaneously and that Montgomery incapacitated a pregnant woman so that she could extract the fetus and complete the kidnapping of a person. Montgomery could not deliver the infant without subduing Stinnett, and thus she rendered Stinnett unconscious by strangulation. When Montgomery began the cesarean-section delivery of the infant, her incising of Stinnett's abdomen caused Stinnett to rouse and Montgomery to strangle her a second time. Stinnett's death resulted from the second strangulation and allowed Montgomery to deliver the baby and complete the crime of kidnapping. Montgomery was thus properly charged with kidnapping resulting in death.