Opinion ID: 1325306
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Photographs Depicting Victim's Body and Wounds.

Text: The trial court, over Gray's objections, admitted into evidence six color photographs of the victim's body, including five of his bloody head. Three photographs depicted the victim's body as found at the scene of the crime; the remaining three photographs were taken at the autopsy. Gray contends the court erred in admitting these photographs because they served no purpose other than to inflame the jury. We disagree. The admission of photographs is a matter resting within the sound discretion of a trial court. Wise v. Commonwealth, 230 Va. 322, 330, 337 S.E.2d 715, 720 (1985), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 1524, 89 L.Ed.2d 921 (1986); Watkins, 229 Va. at 482, 331 S.E.2d at 433; Poyner v. Commonwealth, 229 Va. 401, 417, 329 S.E.2d 815, 827, cert. denied, 474 U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 189, 88 L.Ed.2d 158, 474 U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 189-90, 88 L.Ed.2d 158, 474 U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 208, 88 L.Ed.2d 178 (1985); Washington, 228 Va. at 551, 323 S.E.2d at 588; Jones v. Commonwealth, 228 Va. 427, 450, 323 S.E.2d 554, 566-67 (1984); Coleman v. Commonwealth, 226 Va. 31, 48, 307 S.E.2d 864, 873 (1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1109, 104 S.Ct. 1617, 80 L.Ed.2d 145 (1984); Bunch, 225 Va. at 436-37, 304 S.E.2d at 278; Peterson v. Commonwealth, 225 Va. 289, 294, 302 S.E.2d 520, 524, cert. denied, 464 U.S. 865, 104 S.Ct. 202, 78 L.Ed.2d 176 (1983); Clanton v. Commonwealth, 223 Va. 41, 51, 286 S.E.2d 172, 177 (1982); Martin, 221 Va. at 447, 271 S.E.2d at 130; Stamper, 220 Va. at 270, 257 S.E.2d at 816. Photographs of a victim are relevant if they tend to show motive, intent, method, premeditation, malice, or the degree of atrociousness of the crime. Stockton, 227 Va. at 144, 314 S.E.2d at 384; Waye, 219 Va. at 692, 251 S.E.2d at 208; Smith, 219 Va. at 467, 248 S.E.2d at 143. Photographs that accurately portray a scene created by an accused in the commission of an offense are not rendered inadmissible because they are gruesome or shocking. Washington, 228 Va. at 551-52, 323 S.E.2d at 588. In the present case, the photographs of the victim, though gruesome, accurately portrayed what the defendant had created and were relevant to establish intent, malice, premeditation, and atrociousness of the crime. We note, moreover, that the trial court rejected two photographs offered by the Commonwealth because they were duplicative of other photographs that were admitted. We hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the six photographs into evidence.