Opinion ID: 2056434
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: It is our Court's practice to review the sufficiency of the evidence for first-degree murder in all direct appeals from the imposition of capital punishment irrespective of whether the appellant mounts a sufficiency challenge. Commonwealth v. Champney, 574 Pa. 435, 442, 832 A.2d 403, 407 (2003); Commonwealth v. Zettlemoyer, 500 Pa. 16, 26 n. 3, 454 A.2d 937, 942 n. 3 (1982). In the appeal sub judice, Appellant claims that his conviction for first-degree murder, as well as his convictions for theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property, was not supported by sufficient evidence. In reviewing a claim regarding the sufficiency of the evidence, an appellate court must determine whether the evidence was sufficient to allow the fact finder to find every element of the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt. Commonwealth v. LaCava, 542 Pa. 160, 171, 666 A.2d 221, 226 (1995). In doing so, a reviewing court views all the evidence and reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth. Id. Furthermore, in applying this standard, the Commonwealth may sustain its burden of proof by means of wholly circumstantial evidence. Commonwealth v. Cousar, 593 Pa. 204, 217, 928 A.2d 1025, 1032 (2007). When performing its review, an appellate court should evaluate the entire record and all evidence received is to be considered, whether or not the trial court's rulings thereon were correct. Additionally, we note that the trier of fact, while passing on the credibility of witnesses and the weight of the evidence, is free to believe all, part, or none of the evidence. Id. at 217, 928 A.2d at 1032-33. With these tenets in mind, we turn to Appellant's arguments concerning the sufficiency of the evidence.
First, Appellant claims that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction for murder in the first degree. Specifically, Appellant offers that there is no evidence to establish either that he killed Kolesnik or that he had the specific intent to kill. No testimony placed him at his residence when Kolesnik was shot, and similarly, no evidence established that Appellant owned a gun or fired a gun as there was no residue found on his clothing or person. Moreover, evidence suggested that Kolesnik had a long history of heroin addiction and that he was despondent over his inability to be free from this addiction. Appellant avers that Dr. Land, who testified on behalf of the Commonwealth, could not tell from the observation of Kolesnik's body whether or not the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. According to Appellant, while Kolesnik's DNA was found on Appellant's watch, this was consistent with Appellant moving the body, but not that he was present when Kolesnik died. Thus, Appellant complains that the evidence was insufficient to uphold the conviction for first-degree murder. The Commonwealth responds that its theory of the murder was that Appellant, upset over circumstances surrounding his brother's incarceration, [14] shot Kolesnik in the head while Kolesnik was in the process of injecting heroin in Appellant's bedroom. Appellant then loaded Kolesnik's body into the van, intending to destroy both the body and the vehicle. Conversely, Appellant's theory was that Kolesnik shot him-self in the head after attempting to commit suicide by overdosing. When viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, as verdict winner, the Commonwealth maintains that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to conclude that Appellant killed Kolesnik and that Appellant did so with specific intent. To prove murder of the first-degree, the Commonwealth must establish that: (1) a human being was unlawfully killed; (2) the person accused is responsible for the killing; and (3) the accused acted with malice and a specific intent to kill. 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 2501, 2502(d); Commonwealth v. Kennedy, 598 Pa. 621, 629, 959 A.2d 916, 921 (2008). Intentional killing is defined as including killing by means of poison, or by lying in wait, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing. 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2502(d). The specific intent essential to support a first-degree murder conviction may be shown by use of a deadly weapon upon a vital part of the victim's body. Commonwealth v. Rivera, 565 Pa. 289, 295, 773 A.2d 131, 135 (2001). Upon review, we believe that the evidence adduced at trial, when viewed in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth as verdict winner, was sufficient to sustain the jury's verdict of first-degree murder. The evidence supports a finding that a human being was unlawfully killed, as the victim, Kolesnik, died from a gunshot wound to the head. Evidence further supports a finding that the person accused, Appellant, was responsible for the death of the victim and that Appellant acted with malice and specific intent to kill. Specifically, the evidence established that 15 hours before Kolesnik's body was found in the back of Hess' van, Appellant and Kolesnik were together at an A-Plus minimarket. Kolesnik was to go to Appellant's house later that day to return a cellular telephone, a source of controversy between the men, and which sparked an argument' between Kolesnik and Appellant a few days earlier at the same store. The evidence places Kolesnik at Appellant's residence where DNA analysis matches Kolesnik's DNA with that of blood on Appellant's mattress and a bullet. A trail of blood led from Appellant's residence to the curb. Appellant was stopped while driving a van, operating without the use of headlights, and while heading towards Nolde Forest, a secluded wooded park. When asked by police if anyone else was in the vehicle, Appellant responded, just a dead guy or only the dead guy. In the cargo area of the van was Kolesnik's body and on the front passenger seat was a container full of gasoline. Kolesnik's body was wrapped in a blood-soaked covering, bound with electrical wire, which matched wire recovered from Appellant's room. Also, located in the vehicle was a cellular telephone belonging to Appellant's brother. Appellant was observed with blood on his pants, watch, and glasses. The blood on Appellant's watch matched Kolesnik's DNA. After being arrested, Appellant was instructed not to wash his hands, yet, Appellant attempted to wash his hands in a toilet bowl in his holding cell. Finally, Commonwealth witness, Dr. Land, an expert in forensic pathology, believed that the circumstances surrounding Kolesnik's death, combined with the crime scene evidence, strongly suggested a homicide. Dr. Land pointed to the fact that Kolesnik had a ligature still tied around his left arm, consistent with present drug use. As Dr. Land opined, because Kolesnik was right-handed, he would have had to have been shooting drugs into his left arm, yet, the entrance wound was in the left side of Kolesnik's head. This evidence, coupled with an attempt to hide the murder and the lack of notice to the police of a suicide, all pointed away from suicide and toward a finding of a homicide. Based upon this evidence, we hold that the evidence supports the jury's conviction of first-degree murder.
Additionally, Appellant contends that the evidence was insufficient to establish theft by unlawful taking. While Appellant acknowledges that he was stopped operating Hess' van and was operating the van with a key attached to Hess' Jello key fob, according to Appellant, it could be inferred that Kolesnik had permission to use Hess' van, because Kolesnik and Hess lived together and were boyfriend and girlfriend. Moreover, evidence existed that Kolesnik and Appellant were friends. Appellant maintains that the Commonwealth did not present evidence that he did not have permission from Kolesnik to use the van or that he intended to deprive Hess of the van. Thus, as the evidence fails to establish that he intended to deprive Hess of her van, Appellant claims that the evidence does not support a conviction of theft by unlawful taking. The Commonwealth points to Hess' testimony that the van belonged to her, that there was only one key to the van, and that the van key was on her Jello key chain. Moreover, Hess testified that she did not give her key ring to Appellant or give him permission to operate the vehicle. Furthermore, the Commonwealth submits that circumstantial evidence supported the Commonwealth's theory, accepted by the jury it contends, that Appellant killed Kolesnik and placed his body into the van with the intent to dispose of both the body and the van. Supporting this view, the Commonwealth notes that a full gasoline container was found on the front passenger seat of the van, and Hess testified that the gasoline container was previously empty in the cargo area of the van and was filled only if the van ran out of gas. The trial court found the evidence sufficient to establish Appellant's conviction for theft by unlawful taking. Citing to the evidence offered by the Commonwealth above, the trial court concluded that there was sufficient evidence from which the jury could have concluded that Appellant possessed the requisite intent to deprive Hess of her van. To uphold a conviction for theft by unlawful taking, the Commonwealth must establish the accused unlawfully takes, or exercises unlawful control over, movable property of another with intent to deprive him thereof. 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 3921(a). We find that the evidence was sufficient to establish a theft by unlawful taking. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, as verdict winner, with all reasonable inferences drawn there from, and as set forth by the Commonwealth and the trial court, Appellant was found operating Hess' van, using the only keys to the vehicle, without Hess' permission. Appellant was driving the van towards a secluded wooded area, Nolde Forest, in the early morning hours without its headlights illuminated. In the cargo area of the van was the body of Hess' live-in boyfriend, and in the front passenger seat of the van was a container filled with gasoline. Based upon the evidence of record, as properly considered, we conclude that there was sufficient evidence to establish that Appellant exercised unlawful control over Hess' van with the intent to deprive her thereof. Thus, Appellant's claim fails.
Finally, Appellant complains that the evidence was insufficient to establish his conviction for receiving stolen property. Appellant points to the short time period from when the van was last seen by Hess and when the police stopped him while operating the van. He also highlights evidence that Appellant and Kolesnik were friends and contends that there is no evidence whether Kolesnik gave him permission to use Hess' van. Furthermore, Appellant develops that he voluntarily stopped the van after being ordered to by police, that he was cooperative with police, and that the van was not taken far from the residence of the owner. According to Appellant, all of these factors suggest the evidence is insufficient to establish that Appellant did not intend to restore the van to its owner, a necessary requirement to establish the crime of receiving stolen property. The Commonwealth provides, in sum, that the same facts sufficient to establish the elements of theft by unlawful taking also support the conviction for receiving stolen property. The trial court agreed. Receiving stolen property is established by proving that the accused intentionally receives, retains, or disposes of movable property of another knowing that it has been stolen, or believing that it has probably been stolen, unless the property is received, retained, or disposed of with intent to restore it to the owner. 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 3925(a). We conclude the evidence of record established the elements of receiving stolen property. Again, Appellant was stopped by police while driving Hess' van, without her permission, using her keys. Appellant was driving the van, without headlights illuminated, in the direction of Nolde Forest, with Kolesnik's body, as well as a container filled with gasoline. While Appellant offers a different scenario to explain the course of events, when the evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, the evidence was sufficient to establish that Appellant retained Hess' van, knowing it was stolen, and that he did not intend to return the van to Hess. Thus, we reject Appellant's sufficiency claims.