Opinion ID: 1690157
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: lack of proof of premeditation

Text: As to appellant's second claim, however, we find there is a complete absence of evidence to support a finding of premeditation. In fact, the total absence of evidence as to the circumstances specifically surrounding the shooting militates against a finding of premeditation. See Terry v. State, 668 So.2d 954, 964 (Fla.1996); Mungin v. State, 689 So.2d 1026, 1029 (Fla.1995). We have set out the facts of this case in great detail, and these facts simply do not support a finding of premeditation. Premeditation is defined as more than a mere intent to kill; it is a fully formed conscious purpose to kill. This purpose may be formed a moment before the act but must exist for a sufficient length of time to permit reflection as the nature of the act to be committed and the probable result of that act. Coolen v. State, 696 So.2d 738, 741 (Fla.1997) (quoting Wilson v. State, 493 So.2d 1019, 1021 (Fla.1986)). Premeditation may be proven by circumstantial evidence. Holton v. State, 573 So.2d at 289. As this Court stated in Holton: Evidence from which premeditation may be inferred includes such matters as the nature of the weapon used, the presence or absence of adequate provocation, previous difficulties between the parties, the manner in which the homicide was committed, and the nature and manner of the wounds inflicted. Id. at 289 (quoting Larry v. State, 104 So.2d 352, 354 (Fla.1958)). To prove premeditation by circumstantial evidence, the evidence relied upon by the State must be inconsistent with every other reasonable inference that could be drawn. Id.; accord Long v. State, 689 So.2d 1055, 1057 (Fla.1997). Where the State fails to exclude all reasonable hypotheses that the homicide occurred other than by premeditated design, the defendant's conviction for first-degree murder cannot be sustained. Coolen, 696 So.2d at 741; Hoefert v. State, 617 So.2d 1046, 1048 (Fla.1993); Hall v. State, 403 So.2d 1319, 1321 (Fla.1981). In Mungin v. State, 689 So.2d 1026 (Fla.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 118 S.Ct. 102, 139 L.Ed.2d 57 (1997), the defendant shot and killed a convenience store clerk. Although we upheld Mungin's conviction for first-degree felony murder, we found the evidence to be insufficient to establish premeditation: The State presented evidence that supports premeditation: The victim was shot once in the head at close range; the only injury was the gunshot wound; Mungin procured the murder weapon in advance and had used it before; and the gun required a six-pound pull to fire. But the evidence is also consistent with a killing that occurred on the spur of the moment. There are no statements indicating that Mungin intended to kill the victim, no witnesses to the events preceding the shooting, and no continuing attack that would have suggested premeditation. Although the jury heard evidence of collateral crimes, the jury was instructed that this evidence was admitted for the limited purpose of establishing the shooter's identity. Id. at 1029. The evidence in the instant case comes no closer to establishing evidence of premeditation than that found to exist in Mungin. First, no evidence as to a possible motive was shown to exist. During its closing argument, the State told the jury that it is not required to show proof of motive to establish premeditation. While we recognize that motive is not an essential element of homicide, where, as here, the proof of a crime rests on circumstantial evidence, motive may become ... important. Daniels v. State, 108 So.2d 755, 759 (Fla.1959). The State's concession as to the lack of motive is further proof of the absence of evidence of premeditation in this case. Second, there were no witnesses to the shooting or to the events immediately preceding the shooting. Although McDonald testified that she saw appellant and the victim together on the night of the homicide, this alone does not establish that the shooting was premeditated. Third, there was no evidence of a continuing attack suggesting the possibility of premeditation. Rather, the area where the victim's body was found lacked signs of a struggle. Moreover, the medical examiner testified that, other than the single gunshot wound to the head, there were no other injuries or defense wounds on the victim's body. Fourth, the State elicited no evidence suggesting appellant intended to kill the victim. The record reflects that appellant and the victim had been dating for a month with no signs of difficulties or domestic confrontations. Fifth, there was no evidence that appellant procured a murder weapon in advance of the homicide. Rather, appellant's co-worker testified that appellant offered to sell him a gun. Although one may infer from this testimony that appellant owned a gun, it does not indicate that he intended to use it or that he owned it at the time of the homicide. Finally, the fact that appellant may have taken steps to conceal evidence of a crime does not establish that he committed murder with a preconceived plan or design. See Hoefert, 617 So.2d at 1049 (finding no evidence of premeditation despite pattern of strangulation and efforts by defendant to conceal evidence of crime). Efforts to conceal evidence of premeditated murder are likely to be as consistent with efforts to avoid prosecution for any unlawful killing. Dupree v. State, 615 So.2d 713, 723 (Fla. 1st DCA 1993) (Zehmer, J., dissenting and concurring). The State argues that the fact the victim suffered a single gunshot wound to the back of her head is evidence of premeditation. [9] While the nature of the crime and the manner of the wound inflicted may constitute circumstantial evidence of how the killing occurred, it is not sufficient to establish premeditation. The gunshot wound inflicted in this case is also consistent with a homicide committed in the spur of the moment. See Kirkland v. State, 684 So.2d 732, 734 (Fla. 1996) (reducing first degree murder to second-degree murder where evidence was consistent with a killing other than by premeditation). Although the circumstantial evidence in this case may be consistent with an unlawful killing, the evidence is insufficient to prove premeditation. Kirkland; Hoefert. Therefore, based on the lack of evidence as to how the shooting occurred, we find that the State failed to carry its burden in establishing premeditation. In doing so, we hold only that the evidence was insufficient to support premeditation. The evidence does support, however, a finding that appellant committed an unlawful killing commensurate with manslaughter. [10] The absence of evidence in this record as to how the death occurred, other than evidence that it was by gunshot wound and that the appellant was involved, precludes any other holding. Accordingly, we reverse appellant's conviction for first-degree murder and vacate his sentence of death.