Opinion ID: 2174677
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: There was sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction.

Text: At the close of the trial, the trial court properly instructed that an extra-judicial confession, standing alone, will not sustain a conviction. Proof, independent of the statement, must exist. State v. Garza, 337 N.W.2d 823 (S.D.1983); State v. Best, 89 S.D. 227, 232 N.W.2d 447 (1975). Oster contends that his taped confession to Deputy Pomrenke was the only piece of evidence connecting him to the corpus delicti. This is not accurate. An extra-judicial confession can be corroborated by the fact that a loss occurred and the fact that someone's criminal act caused the loss. Best at 452. Vissia testified that he had $34.00 cash in his wallet when he placed it on the cupboard in his kitchen, that the money was gone the following day, and that Oster was the only other person in his home during the interim. Furthermore, Oster was alone in the room where the wallet was located and thus had opportunity. Although the evidence is circumstantial, we hold that it is sufficient to corroborate the confession of Oster.