Opinion ID: 1060719
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Remaining Aggravating Circumstances Great Risk of Death

Text: We now apply the Howell harmless error analysis to the second remaining valid aggravating circumstance found by the jury. It was that the defendant knowingly created a great risk of death to two (2) or more persons, other than the victim murdered, during his act of murder. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-2-203(i)(3) (1982) (now codified at Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-204(i)(3) (1997 & Supp.1998)). This Court has previously held that this aggravating circumstance contemplates either multiple murders or threats to several persons at or shortly prior to or shortly after an act of murder upon which the prosecution is based. State v. Cone, 665 S.W.2d 87, 95 (Tenn.), cert. denied, 467 U.S. 1210, 104 S.Ct. 2400, 81 L.Ed.2d 357 (1984). We have most commonly upheld its application in cases where the defendant fires multiple gunshots in the course of a robbery or other incident at which several persons other than the murder victim are present. E.g., State v. McKay, 680 S.W.2d 447 (Tenn.1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1034, 105 S.Ct. 1412, 84 L.Ed.2d 795 (1985) (defendants killed two victims during robbery and shot at and threatened two other persons inside store); State v. Workman, 667 S.W.2d 44 (Tenn.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 873, 105 S.Ct. 226, 83 L.Ed.2d 155 (1984) (defendant engaged in shoot-out with police, killing one officer, wounding a second, and missing a third); State v. Johnson, 632 S.W.2d 542 (Tenn.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 882, 103 S.Ct. 183, 74 L.Ed.2d 148 (1982) (three people shot and injured in store and two people shot and killed in the parking lot as defendant fled). On the other hand, this Court has held that this factor was not applicable where the defendant shot and threatened three persons while fleeing from a robbery but did not kill the two victims until the following day. Cone, 665 S.W.2d at 95. Courts in other states have analyzed similar aggravating factors by considering a multitude of circumstances: the manner of the killing, the type of weapon used by the defendant, the number of gunshots fired, the size of the scene in which the killing occurred, and the proximity of other individuals. See, e.g., State v. Rose, 327 N.C. 599, 398 S.E.2d 314 (1990); Commonwealth v. Moser, 519 Pa. 441, 549 A.2d 76 (1988). Other courts have restricted the application of this aggravating factor, holding that great risk of death means highly probable and not merely possible. See, e.g., State v. Smith, 146 Ariz. 491, 707 P.2d 289 (1985); Kampff v. State, 371 So.2d 1007 (Fla.1979). I agree with the majority that King's actions were legally sufficient to support this aggravating factor. I disagree, however, with the majority's view that Howell requires only a determination of whether the factor is supported by objectively reliable proof. Instead, in reviewing the strength, substance and persuasiveness of the aggravator, I note that this case substantially differs from the multiple gunshots and random shoot-outs that marked such cases as Johnson , Workman , and McKay . Moreover, although several individuals were present, there was no random exchange of gunfire and only the victim was shot at and killed. I believe, therefore, that all of these circumstances must be taken into consideration in applying the constitutional harmless error analysis.