Court Opinion

ID: 9661520
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 22:41:24.947201+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:29.494656
License: Public Domain

GREENE, Judge,
dissenting.
Among the various findings the jury had to make to reach a conclusion of guilt On Count II was that Eugene Pyatt caused Ruth O’Dell’s death by shooting her; that such occurred while defendant and the Schmidts were assaulting Pyatt without justification; that O’Dell had the express purpose of promoting the assault; and that he acted with, aided or encouraged the Schmidts (named conjunctively) in committing the assault.
No witness in this case gave direct testimony of a conscious plan to perpetrate an assault, or of defendant’s purpose to join in and assist such a plan, or that one of defendant’s party first made an offer of violence or otherwise took affirmative steps to inflict physical injury with a deadly weapon without benefit of justification upon Eugene Pyatt. Defense witnesses explain the weapons and their presence at the scene on an innocent basis and say that Pyatt threatened and fired first; the state’s witnesses try to provide a motive giving some basis for suspecting that a planned confrontation and assault on Pyatt occurred.
Since the evidence is circumstantial, the state places strong dependence on a set of oft-repeated and commonly applied principles concerning circumstantial evidence and review of the sufficiency of such evidence. These principles include the admonition that we must consider the evidence and allowable inferences in the light most favorable to the state, disregarding contrary evidence and inferences. State v. Strickland, 609 S.W.2d 392, 395 (Mo. banc 1980); State v. Overkamp, 646 S.W.2d 733, 736[5] (Mo.1983); State v. McGee, 592 S.W.2d 886, 887[1] (Mo.App.1980). We are also reminded that there is no requirement that the testimony favorable to the state be free of conflict [State v. Newberry, 605 S.W.2d 117, 121[2] (Mo.1980)], and that the jury may believe all, some or none of a witness’ testimony, even if uncontradicted. State v. Jackson, 608 S.W.2d 420, 421[1] (Mo.1980). In short, the determination of the credibility of the witnesses was within the peculiar province of the jury, and it was for the jury to resolve inconsistencies and determine the weight to accord to the evidence. State v. Williams, 652 S.W.2d 102, 111[16, 17] (Mo. banc 1983).
It is true that any fact in a criminal case may be established by circumstantial evidence. State v. Woods, 637 S.W.2d 113, 119[16] (Mo.App.1982); State v. McGee, supra, 592 S.W.2d at 887[2], To this, we might add that the purpose and acts of a defendant which are required for liability as an aider or coparticipant may also be shown by circumstantial evidence. State v. Rossini, 418 S.W.2d 1, 5[5] (Mo.1967); State v. Puckett, 611 S.W.2d 242, 245[7] (Mo.App.1980).
It is also true that in a circumstantial evidence case such as this, the facts and circumstances relied on must be consistent with each other and with the hypothesis of guilt, be inconsistent with any reasonably theory of innocence, and, in fact, point to the conclusion of guilt so clearly as to exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. State v. Prier, 634 S.W.2d 197, 199[1] (Mo. banc 1982); State v. Hankins, 642 S.W.2d 606, 614[10] (Mo.1982); State v. Abbott, 654 S.W.2d 260, 268[5] (Mo.App.1983).
The state’s case was submitted on the relatively light burden of that form of attempted second degree assault requiring a finding of only an attempt to inflict physical injury with a deadly weapon. § 565.-060.1(1). Therefore, it was necessary that the state present sufficient substantial evidence from which the jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was a responsible participant in a plan in which it was specifically intended to inflict *472physical injury on Pyatt with a deadly weapon, and that at least a substantial step was taken with the requisite purpose toward the commission of such offense, and that no justification existed for the conduct. We emphasize that a “substantial step,” even though not defined for the jury, consists of conduct which is strongly corroborative of a firm purpose to complete the commission of the offense. § 564.011.-1.
After applying these guiding principles of review to the evidence in this case, I believe the jury could have found that defendant and his party associated for the purpose of engaging in some sort of confrontation with Pyatt. They could well have rejected the talk of turkey hunting and polk picking as a ruse to justify their presence in the vicinity of Eugene Pyatt’s home. They may have well believed the Schmidts and O’Dells went to Pyatt’s home with the purpose of assaulting him.
Our concern, however, should be directed to the more specific requirements of the underlying felony on which the murder, as submitted, depended. In State v. Gonzales, 652 S.W.2d 719, 722[1] (Mo.App.1983), the following was said about the corresponding form of first degree assault, after noting the definitions of attempt and substantial step:
“There emerges here a clear requirement that conviction of an attempt to kill or to cause serious physical injury requires proof of a very specific intent on the part of the actor to accomplish that objective. That intent has been described in various ways. The statute uses the language ‘a firm purpose.’ In the comments upon § 5.01 of the Model Penal Code ... (Tent.Draft No. 10, 1960), the following language is used:
As previously stated, the proposed definition of attempt follows the conventional pattern of limiting this inchoate crime to purposive conduct. In the language of the court, there must be ‘intent in fact’ or ‘specific intent’ to commit the crime allegedly attempted.”
I question whether any conduct shown by the evidence here meets the requirement. I am aware that the present attempt formula relieves somewhat the formerly harsh requirement of an overt act going beyond preparation and moving directly toward consummation of the crime. See State v. Thomas, 438 S.W.2d 441, 446[10] (Mo.1969); State v. Stewart, 537 S.W.2d 579, 582[3] (Mo.App.1976); Code Comment to § 564.011. The Code Comment mentioned describes a number of acts which should not be held insufficient as a matter of law, if they are strongly indicative of the actor’s criminal purpose. Included are such things as lying-in wait, searching out the victim and reconnoitering the proposed scene. At the same time, it has been emphasized that such analysis of conduct depends heavily on the facts of the particular case. State v. Gilliam, 618 S.W.2d 733, 734 (Mo.App.1981).
Under the facts of this particular case, I do not believe the arrival on the scene of the O’Dells and their friends, even assuming a bent for some type of confrontation, could represent the completion of the underlying felony which, as charged, was assaulting Pyatt with a shotgun and, as submitted, was attempting to assault him with a shotgun.
There is not a shred of evidence in this case to show that Gene Schmidt, Denver O’Dell, or anyone else, assaulted, or attempted to assault, Eugene Pyatt with a deadly weapon before Pyatt shot and killed Ruth and wounded Denver O’Dell. In fact, the evidence strongly suggests that Eugene Pyatt, having been forewarned by his brother, Ned, of possible trouble because of the beating of Denver O’Dell, decided to do unto others before they did it to him, and was killed by Gene Schmidt in the shoot-out.
I do not believe that any reasonable trier of fact could know from the evidence what really happened at the Pyatt place without indulging in gross speculation. The facts and circumstances in evidence do not, at least to me, point to a conclusion of guilt so clearly so as to exclude every reasonable *473hypothesis of the innocence of Denver O’Dell.
There was insufficient evidence to sustain the conviction, and the defendant was entitled to a judgment of acquittal. For this reason, I respectfully dissent.