Opinion ID: 157009
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sergeant Hunt's statements about knife

Text: 51 Mr. Newsted also argues the state violated Brady v. Maryland in failing to disclose to him evidence suggesting that an open knife was found at the murder scene which, he argues, would have bolstered his claim of self-defense. As indicated, Mr. Newsted's defense in this case was that Mr. Buckley tried to rob him at knife point, and he shot Mr. Buckley in self-defense in the ensuing struggle. 52 While a knife apparently belonging to Mr. Buckley was found at the crime scene, there was considerable confusion and conflicting testimony as to where it was found and who found it. As the district court stated, from the beginning, the police officers who testified about the knife testified in a way that relieved each of them of the responsibility of finding or touching the knife at the scene. Order at 50, R. Vol. III at Tab 36. Our review of the record confirms the accuracy of the district court's recitation of the tortured history of this particular piece of evidence: 53 The evidence log, prepared by Officer Ellis, states that the knife was recovered by John Ross of the Medical Examiner's office in the decedent's coat pocket. Mr. Ross stated that he never touched the knife. On February 28, 1984, the District Attorney asked Officer Moreland to determine whether the knife was found open or closed. On March 1, 1984, Officer Moreland reported that the knife was found closed in the decedent's pants pocket. 54 Two weeks later, at the preliminary hearing, Officers Moreland, Park and Applegate testified about the knife. Officer Moreland testified that he saw the knife closed on the floor of the car, and that the knife was removed from the car by Officer Park. The District Attorney never disclosed Officer Moreland's March 1 report. Officer Moreland also testified that the knife was wet and muddy when it was recovered after the taxi was pulled out of the water. The knife was clean at the time of the preliminary hearing, and no one could explain how the knife came to be cleaned up. Officer Park testified that he saw the knife closed on the floor of the car, and that it was wet and muddy. Officer Applegate testified that the knife was found closed in the decedent's coat pocket, and that Officer Park handed the knife to Officer Applegate. No officer admitted to being the person that recovered the knife. 55 At trial, Officers Moreland and Applegate repeated their testimony from the preliminary hearing, namely that Officer Park recovered the knife. Officer Park testified that he saw the knife closed on the floor of the car, and that Officer Applegate or Officer Ellis recovered the knife. Officer Park specifically denied that he ever touched the knife at the scene. Once again, no officer admitted to being the person who recovered the knife. 56 Id. at 50-51 (citations omitted). Except for Mr. Newsted's testimony at trial that he shot Mr. Buckley after Mr. Buckley attempted to rob him with a knife, the jury heard no other testimony that the knife found at the scene was ever open. 57 Mr. Newsted argues there was one investigating officer, Sergeant Roy Hunt, who retired shortly after the Buckley murder but, when contacted by an investigator for Mr. Newsted's counsel in 1991 and 1992, signed two statements suggesting the knife was open at the crime scene, thereby supporting Mr. Newsted's version of events. Thus, Mr. Newsted argues that the state, in effect, suppressed Sgt. Hunt's belief at the time of the murder that the knife was found open. 58 The first statement Mr. Newsted cites in support of this argument was a report prepared by the investigator, Barry Rouw, who stated that Seargent [sic] reported that to the best of his recollection the folding blade knife was recovered in the open position. When questioned further as to where the knife was recovered from Seargent [sic] Hunt stated that he was not sure and could not recollect positively where the knife was recovered from. Pet'r's Ex. P-63 at Tab H pp. 1-2. Sgt. Hunt then signed the report, stating it true to the best of my memory. Id. Four months later, Sgt. Hunt signed a statement which included the following: I told Mr. Rouw that I recalled seeing the blade of the knife in an open position when it was recovered by the Tulsa Police Department. And, what I told Mr. Rouw, is exactly what I remember based upon my first-hand observations--the knife blade was open. Id. at Tab K. 59 However, Sgt. Hunt's supplementary offense report prepared at the time of the Buckley murder did not mention a knife. Moreover, at the evidentiary hearing held before the Oklahoma district court on August 25-26, 1992, in Mr. Newsted's second post-conviction proceeding, Sgt. Hunt initially characterized his statements to investigator Rouw as [w]e discussed it, whether [the knife] was open or whether it was closed. We batted it back and forth. I said, yeah, it could have been either way, just like anything, but I did not definitely say that the knife blade was open at any time. I said it could have been or it could not have been. Tr. of Evidentiary Hr'g at 73. He subsequently agreed, however, that his statements to Mr. Rouw that, to the best of his memory the knife was open, were correct at the time he made them in late 1991 and early 1992. 60 We agree with the district court that the record in this case simply does not establish that Sergeant Hunt believed he saw an open knife at the crime scene. Order at 52, R. Vol. III at Tab 36. Further, as the district court also found, the evidence at trial and available to the state at that time overwhelmingly suggests the contrary. We therefore affirm the district court's conclusion that no Brady violation occurred in connection with Sgt. Hunt's beliefs or statements about the knife. 61