Opinion ID: 1881447
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: HAC as to Michael MacIvor

Text: Michael MacIvor's death was caused by ligature strangulation. This Court has held on numerous occasions that it is permissible to infer that strangulation when perpetrated upon a conscious victim, involves the foreknowledge of death, extreme anxiety and fear, and that this method of killing is one to which the factor of heinousness is applicable. DeAngelo v. State, 616 So.2d 440, 442 (Fla. 1993) (quoting Tompkins v. State, 502 So.2d 415, 421 (Fla.1986)). In fact, we have noted that [o]ur case law establishes... that strangulation creates a prima facie case for [HAC]. Orme v. State, 677 So.2d 258, 263 (Fla.1996); see also Hitchcock v. State, 578 So.2d 685, 692 (Fla.1990) ([S]trangulations are nearly per se heinous.). Because the evidence in this case clearly establishes that Michael was strangled to death, the question which remains is whether he was conscious at the time of the strangulation. The record evidence leads us to the conclusion that he was. It is clear from the testimony at trial that Michael MacIvor struggled with Overton prior to his death. Particularly, the evidence demonstrates that Michael was first struck in the back of the head, the neck, and the left shoulder area. It was at this point that Susan came out of the bedroom screaming. Overton chased her back into the bedroom where he restrained, raped and strangled her. Throughout this time, he was concerned about the male just being temporarily knocked out. As a result, he returned to the living room where the male was apparently just becoming conscious. Overton then kicked Michael in the abdominal area to disable him and strangled [him]. We find Overton's last act of violence prior to the strangulation particularly instructive in reaching our conclusion that Michael was conscious at the time the strangulation began. After all, why would Overton find it necessary to disable Michael by kicking him in the abdominal area if he was already unconscious? See, e.g., Scott v. State, 494 So.2d 1134, 1137 (Fla. 1986) (upholding HAC, concluding that where victim was beaten a second time, evidence clearly supports the ... conclusion that at some point the victim regained consciousness). Accordingly, we affirm the trial court's HAC finding.