Conrad v. State

317 N.E.2d 789, 262 Ind. 446, 1974 Ind. LEXIS 326
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 21, 1974
Docket1273S255
StatusPublished
Cited by48 cases

This text of 317 N.E.2d 789 (Conrad v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Conrad v. State, 317 N.E.2d 789, 262 Ind. 446, 1974 Ind. LEXIS 326 (Ind. 1974).

Opinion

HÚNTER, J.

This is an appeal by William Bert Conrad, defendant-appellant, from a conviction in the Henry Circuit Court for kidnapping and manslaughter. He was indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury. He was tried by jury which returned its verdict of guilty on May 9, 1973. Appellant timely filed his motion to correct errors, the overruling of which results in this appeal.

Appellant raises several issues, including the admission of blood type evidence without proper foundation, the admission of testimony relating to certain items removed from appellant’s automobile without proper foundation, and lack of jurisdiction. Appellant also objects to the giving of an instruction by the court, and the concomitant refusal to give certain instructions tendered by appellant. Appellant objects to the use at trial of statements allegedly given in violation of his constitutional rights. Finally appellant asserts that this conviction was contrary to law and based upon insufficient evidence.

*448 In reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, this Court will not weigh the evidence. Rather, we are constrained to consider the evidence most favorable to the state and the reasonable inferences therefrom. If there is substantial evidence of probative value from which the trier of fact could reasonably infer that appellant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the verdict will be affirmed. Blackburn v. State (1973), 260 Ind. 5, 291 N.E.2d 686.

A companion of appellant, one Phyllis Anderson, testified that she accompanied him to the home of Gilbert Merle Hudelson about 11:00 o’clock, p.m., on the evening of June 15, 1972. Appellant found Hudelson working in his garage and began a conversation with him. The conversation degenerated into an argument. Appellant struck Hudelson with his fist. Appellant then placed Hudelson in the trunk of appellant’s automobile. Appellant and Miss Anderson then drove around, finally stopping on State Line Road, when appellant’s vehicle overheated. Appellant instructed Miss Anderson to get some water from a nearby farmhouse. When leaving the car, Miss Anderson heard a voice from the area of the trunk saying, “Let me out of here.” When she returned with the water, she asked appellant why it was so quiet, and he replied that “The old man won’t talk ’cause I just beat his brains out.” Upon restarting his vehicle, appellant and Miss Anderson returned to Richmond. Eventually appellant stopped the car on Woodside Drive and pulled Hudelson from the trunk and dragged him to the edge of the road. They then returned to Miss Anderson’s apartment. The victim’s body was discovered on Friday, June 16,1972.

Miss Anderson’s testimony was corroborated by the resident of the farmhouse, who gave her water for appellant’s automobile; by medical testimony placing the approximate time of death; by testimony as to the blood group of stains on items removed from appellant’s trunk; and by the testimony qf Anderson’s niece, who helped clean out the trunk of appellant’s vehicle on Saturday, June 17, 1972. There is an abundance *449 of evidence from which the jury could have determined appellant’s guilt of the offenses charged. Therefore, appellant’s contention of insufficiency of the evidence is without merit.

Appellant objects to the admission of a blood sample taken from the deceased. Appellant also objects to the admission of a blood sample given by appellant. The basis of these objections is the state’s alleged failure to prove an adequate chain of custody. Specifically, appellant asserts that the state failed to negate any possibility of tampering while the samples were in official custody. As we have often stated, “The mere possibility that evidence might have been tampered with will not make the evidence totally objectionable.” Jones v. State (1973), 260 Ind. 463, 296 N.E.2d 407; Kolb v. State (1972), 258 Ind. 469, 282 N.E.2d 541; Rose v. State (1972), 258 Ind. 377, 281 N.E.2d 486.

Appellant protests that the state failed to prove that the “instruments used to obtain the blood were sterile, that the blood was properly preserved, and that when the blood samples were tested they were still pure.” As authority for this proposition, appellant relies upon State v. Shelton (Iowa 1970), 176 N. W. 2d 159. In that case the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a conviction for driving under the influence where the defendant’s blood sample had not been obtained in compliance with statutory procedure. We agree with appellant that the statutory procedure in Shelton regarding the foundation to be laid prior to the admission of blood samples may be desirable. However, the adoption of such a scheme lies within the province of the legislature and not this Court. Absent such procedure, we note that there is sufficient evidence demonstrating that the purity of the sample was maintained. The samples were placed in clean glass vials containing an anti-coagulant substance. The vials were then sealed, initialed, and maintained in police custody. Appellant’s objection to the admission of . evidence based upon these samples is without merit.

Appellant also raises the chain of custody argument with *450 regard to the admission of testimony relating to certain items taken from the trunk of appellant’s auto. Again, we find sufficient evidence to account for the whereabouts of state’s exhibits 22, 23, and 27 through 34. Moreover, appellant seeks to charge the state with failure to prove chain of custody from the date of death, June 15, 1972, until October 23, 1972, the date when items were removed from appellant’s vehicle. As the state properly notes, it cannot be responsible for the custody of goods until it has possession. We find no error in the admission of testimony related to the exhibits taken from appellant’s vehicle.

Appellant next contends that the trial court lacked .jurisdiction to try him for murder committed in Ohio. Appellant bases this contention upon certain testimony from which the jury could have inferred that the final and fatal blows to the victim were inflicted at a place on State Line Road lying within the State of Ohio. The trial court was aware of defendant’s contention that the murder was a separate act occurring in Ohio and instructed the jury:

“. . . if you find from the evidence that the killing of the said Gilbert Merle Hudelson occurred in the State of Ohio, but that the killing was not a part of a common plan, design, and intent to kidnap and kill said Gilbert Merle Hudelson which originated in Wayne County, Indiana, and was not part of one continuous course of action by the defendant which originated and commenced in Wayne County, Indiana,

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Bluebook (online)
317 N.E.2d 789, 262 Ind. 446, 1974 Ind. LEXIS 326, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/conrad-v-state-ind-1974.