Opinion ID: 1148850
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: the prejudicial effect of the introduction of numerous gruesome photographs outweighed their probative value and constitutes reversible error by the lower court.

Text: ¶ 44. Underwood's next two assignments of error are directed toward the trial court's allowing photographs and a video tape of Mrs. Harris's body at the crime scene and photographs of the body prior to the autopsy to be shown to the jury. Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. Miss. R. Evid. 403. Underwood argues that the photographs and video tape created unfair prejudice in the minds of the jury that outweighed any probative value. A general rule of this court leaves the admission of photographs into evidence to the sound discretion of the trial judge. Her decision is upheld unless there has been an abuse of that discretion. Stringer v. State, 548 So.2d 125, 134 (Miss. 1989). [P]hotographs which are gruesome or inflammatory and lack an evidentiary purpose are always inadmissible as evidence.' McNeal v. State, 551 So.2d 151, 159 (Miss. 1989) quoting McFee v. State, 511 So.2d 130, 135 (Miss. 1987). Mackbee v. State, 575 So.2d 16, 31 (Miss. 1990). When deciding on the admissibility of gruesome photos, trial judges must consider: (1) whether the proof is absolute or in doubt as to identity of the guilty party, [and] (2) whether the photos are necessary evidence or simply a ploy on the part of the prosecutor to arouse the passion and prejudice of the jury. Holland v. State, 587 So.2d 848, 864 (Miss. 1991) ( quoting McNeal, 551 So.2d at 159). [T]he lower court's judgment will not be reversed on the ground that photographs are gruesome and prejudicial, unless the lower court has abused its discretion. Moreover, in a slaying such as the instant case, in which the only eyewitness was the defendant, and it was argued that the slaying was something other than murder, the relevancy of photographs showing the scene and victim is increased. Griffin v. State, 557 So.2d 542, 549-50 (Miss. 1990) (internal citations omitted). The same standards applicable to determining the admissibility of photographs are applicable to video tapes. Blue v. State, 674 So.2d 1184, 1210 (Miss. 1996) ( citing Holland, 587 So.2d at 864). ¶ 45. Over Underwood's objection, Judge Toney allowed the prosecution to enter five pictures of Mrs. Harris's body into evidence. State's Exhibit 5 is an 8 x 10 color photograph of Mrs. Harris's body as found by the lakeshore. It shows the body face down on the ground, wearing a blue shirt, black pants and belt, and red house shoes. There are patches of blood visible on the blue shirt. State's Exhibits 10, 11, and 12 are all 8 x 10 color photographs of the body just before the autopsy, showing the gunshot wounds. Little or no blood is evident in any of the autopsy photographs. Exhibit 10 shows Mrs. Harris's back with the two gunshot wounds, Exhibit 11 depicts the two arm wounds, and Exhibit 12 is a photograph of the gunshot wound to Mrs. Harris's neck and to the shoulder. State's Exhibit 17 is a 3 x 4 color photograph taken at the autopsy of Mrs. Harris's hand showing abrasions on her palm and fingers. These pictures are not particularly gruesome or inflammatory so as to shock or prejudice the jury in this case. The photographs were all relevant to show the victim's injuries and to help the jury visualize the crime and crime scene, corroborating the testimony of the investigators and partially corroborating Underwood's confession. Photographs showing Mrs. Harris's body wearing the red house shoes and the scratches on her hands from clutching weeds and grass were relevant to support the prosecution's theory of kidnapping, to refute any theory of assisted suicide, and to corroborate Dr. Hayne's testimony that Mrs. Harris did not die immediately. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing these photographs to be admitted into evidence. ¶ 46. Also over Underwood's objection, Judge Toney allowed the prosecution to play a video tape for the jury of Mrs. Harris's body as it was found by investigators. After hearing the arguments from counsel, the judge determined that the jury would not be allowed to take the tape into deliberations, because he instructed the prosecutor to stop the tape before the body was turned over. The portion of the video tape shown to the jury depicts little more than State's Exhibit 5, the photograph of Mrs. Harris's body at the crime scene. The only additional footage is a shot of Mrs. Harris's ear, revealing that maggots had infested her ear. Judge Toney allowed the prosecution to show the tape through a closeup of the ear, because that evidence was used to help establish the time of death. Out of precaution, however, Judge Toney ruled that the remainder of the video tape, showing the investigators' further examination of the body after turning it over, would not be shown to the jury. ¶ 47. Underwood specifically points to this Court's decision in McNeal, supra, to support his argument that the video depicting maggots in Mrs. Harris's ear was inflammatory and lacked any evidentiary purpose. In McNeal, we held that the admission of closeup color photographs of the victim's decomposed, maggot-infested skull was an abuse of discretion. McNeal, 551 So.2d at 159. However, the Court described those photographs as some of the most gruesome photographs ever presented to this Court. Id. Here, the short segment of video tape showing the inside of Mrs. Harris's ear is not exceptionally gruesome, particularly since there is no visual evidence of decomposition. Furthermore, unlike the photographs in McNeal, the video of the maggots in Mrs. Harris's ear is relevant, because the evidence was used to establish the time of death. Judge Toney properly reviewed this evidence under Rule 403, and did not abuse his discretion in allowing the jury to view that portion of the prosecution's video tape.