Court Opinion

ID: 9527931
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:35:39.813842+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:26:17.837335
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
Appellant’s counsel argues that it would be absurd for a person planning arson to take the small articles listed across town to save them from being burned, and that it does not sufficiently appear from the record that the articles found in Collins’ possession were placed there by appellant immediately before the fire. He states in brief: “It will be recalled that Whatley and his wife had been in California and they were going to rent another home on their return, and it is entirely reasonable to believe that they were left with Collins pending the acquisition of another house * * *. The record is perfectly consistent with the facts to the effect that Whatley and his wife stored these articles until they could get the squatter out of the house so that they could use the portion of the house that they had not been able to get possession of.”
As set out in the opinion, in addition to the testimony of Collins and Detective Davis regarding the box and its contents, the defendant himself testified he left the box, packed as it came from California, at Collins’ on Friday night before the fire early next morning, in order to make room in the car trunk for the dogs.
Application overruled.