Opinion ID: 1329980
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: photograph of the victim

Text: The appellant next complains that he was prejudiced by the trial court's admission into evidence of a photograph of the victim, Clyde Cowgar. He contends that the State failed to show that the photograph was of essential evidentiary value to its case, citing State v. Rowe, W.Va., 259 S.E.2d 26 (1979). His reliance upon Rowe is misplaced. In order for photographs to come within our gruesome photograph rule established in State v. Rowe, W.Va., 259 S.E.2d 26 (1979), there must be an initial finding that they are gruesome. Syl. pt. 6, State v. Buck, W.Va., 294 S.E.2d 281 (1982). The photograph in the instant case is a small black-and-white snapshot of an elderly man with an apparently minor laceration on his right forehead. The trial court initially concluded that it was not gruesome, and we agree. We find no abuse of discretion in its admission.