Opinion ID: 2570573
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Sufficiency of evidence and jury instructions

Text: Leonard asserts that insufficient evidence supports the jury verdicts of first degree murder and robbery and the aggravating circumstance that the murder occurred in the commission of or an attempt to commit robbery. Related to these claims are Leonard's arguments that the jury was improperly instructed concerning: (1) robbery; (2) felony murder; and (3) willful, deliberate, and premeditated murder. We reject Leonard's contentions. Willful, deliberate, and premeditated murder First, we address Leonard's claim that the jury instructions did not sufficiently and properly define the elements of willful, deliberate, and premeditated murder. Leonard specifically challenges an instruction that is virtually identical to the instruction upheld on appeal in Kazalyn v. State, 108 Nev. 67, 75-76, 825 P.2d 578, 583-84 (1992), prospectively modified by Byford v. State, 116 Nev. 215, 994 P.2d 700 (2000). In his reply brief, Leonard cites this court's recent decision in Byford and argues that it should be applied retroactively. Leonard asserts that the instruction was particularly misleading here, given the State's attempt to explain premeditation by analogy during closing argument. [15] We conclude that there was no error in the instruction given to the jury. In Byford, we reconsidered the Kazalyn instruction. While we did not conclude that it was error to use the instruction, we determined that further instruction explaining deliberation would be preferable in the future, and we set forth instructions for future use. Byford, 116 Nev. at 234-37, 994 P.2d at 713-15. Our decision in Byford is prospective. In Garner v. State, 116 Nev. ___, 6 P.3d 1013 (2000), we clarified that for convictions predating Byford, relief would not be warranted based solely on use of the Kazalyn instruction. We held that the instructions required by Byford were a new requirement to be given only prospective force. Id. at ___, 6 P.3d at 1024-25. Thus, the Kazalyn instruction adequately sets forth the standard for proving willful, deliberate, and premeditated murder in this case. We further conclude that there is sufficient evidence of first degree murder under a theory of willful, deliberate, and premeditated murder. First, there is ample evidence that Leonard, and not some other individual, is responsible for the victim's death. Further, there is sufficient circumstantial evidence from which the jury could have inferred premeditation and deliberation. Evidence of premeditation and deliberation is seldom direct. Briano v. State, 94 Nev. 422, 425, 581 P.2d 5, 7 (1978). Circumstantial evidence may be considered and provide sufficient evidence to infer these elements. See id. Here, the manner of the crime itselfa ligature strangulationand the physical evidence relating to that crime provide sufficient evidence to infer the requisite intent for first degree murder. The ligature used by Leonard was apparently cut from a mini-blind or curtain cord. It had been wrapped tightly around the victim's neck, leaving deep impressions that completely encircled his neck. The cord did not match the type used in Leonard's apartment, nor was there any indication that the cord had been cut or removed from the cords in the maintenance shop of the Mark Twain Apartments. Under these circumstances, it is reasonable to infer that Leonard cut the cord from some unknown source with the intent of using it as a ligature. Further, it appears that Leonard employed stealth and planning to subdue the victim. Again, the evidence suggests that Leonard was able to strangle the victim by wrapping the ligature completely around the victim's neck. There is, however, little physical evidence of injury to the victim that suggests that he struggled with Leonard. There was some recent bruising to the victim's head and an abrasion and small scratch on the victim's forehead. The bruising to the victim's head was the result of an injury that was possibly sufficient to stun the victim or even cause unconsciousness. The injuries to the victim could indicate that Leonard used force to preclude resistance by the victim before strangling him. Finally, it took approximately four minutes for the victim to die by strangulation. This court has previously indicated that the length of time involved in a ligature strangulation supports an inference that a killing is willful, deliberate, and premeditated. See Leonard v. State, 114 Nev. 1196, 1210-11, 969 P.2d 288, 297 (1998), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 828, 120 S.Ct. 81, 145 L.Ed.2d 68 (1999). While a ligature strangulation may not always evidence a premeditated and deliberate murder, the character of killing by such means provides some evidence that may support an inference of premeditation and deliberation. See People v. Lucero, 44 Cal.3d 1006, 245 Cal.Rptr. 185, 750 P.2d 1342, 1349 (1988). We hold that the time involved in the instant strangulation murder was a fact that the jury could legitimately consider, in conjunction with other facts, to support an inference of premeditation and deliberation. [16] In sum, we conclude that the use of a ligature in the killing, the particular ligature employed here, the evidence of other injury to the victim and the absence of defensive injuries, and the length of time involved in the strangulation are all factors on which the jury could reasonably rely in concluding that Leonard committed a willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing. Robbery, felony murder, and the robbery aggravating circumstance Leonard argues that robbery requires a live victim. If the victim is deceased, Leonard argues that there must be evidence that the defendant intended to use force prior to the robbery and that the robbery was not incidental to the killing. He further claims that the jury was not properly instructed concerning these issues. We disagree. The jury need not be instructed that robbery requires intent to take property from a living person. See Leonard, 114 Nev. at 1208, 969 P.2d at 296; see also Chappell v. State, 114 Nev. 1403, 1408, 972 P.2d 838, 841 (1998), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 853, 120 S.Ct. 318, 145 L.Ed.2d 114 (1999). Pursuant to Nevada's robbery statute, NRS 200.380, it is irrelevant when the intent to steal the property is formed, and it is not necessary that force or violence involved in the robbery be committed with the specific intent to commit robbery. Chappell, 114 Nev. at 1408, 972 P.2d at 841. Rather, a robbery may be shown where a defendant simply takes `advantage of the terrifying situation [he or she] created' and flees with the victim's property. Id. (quoting Norman v. Sheriff, 92 Nev. 695, 697, 558 P.2d 541, 542-43 (1976)). Given the relevant legal standards, we are not persuaded that the jury received any incorrect instruction that worked to Leonard's detriment. [17] Further, there is sufficient evidence, if viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, from which a rational juror could infer that Leonard killed the victim and stole his property. See Koza v. State, 100 Nev. 245, 250, 681 P.2d 44, 47 (1984) (stating review standard for sufficiency of evidence). The victim's body was found partially nude under Leonard's bed, and the evidence shows that Leonard killed him. Leonard was in possession of the victim's pager when he was arrested. Further, he gave a broken necklace to Gladys Burton that was similar to a necklace commonly worn by the victim. The jury could reasonably infer that this property had been in the victim's possession and that Leonard took it during the events leading up to or following commission of the murder. Further, the jury was properly instructed concerning the robbery aggravating circumstance and felony murder under a robbery theory, and we conclude that sufficient evidence supports both the aggravating circumstance and the felony murder theory. The jury was properly instructed that felony murder required a showing that the killing occurred in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a robbery.