Duncan v. State

939 So. 2d 772, 2006 WL 2291165
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 10, 2006
Docket2003-KA-02721-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 939 So. 2d 772 (Duncan v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Duncan v. State, 939 So. 2d 772, 2006 WL 2291165 (Mich. 2006).

Opinion

939 So.2d 772 (2006)

Jonathan DUNCAN
v.
STATE of Mississippi.

No. 2003-KA-02721-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

August 10, 2006.
Rehearing Denied October 26, 2006.

*774 Leslie D. Roussell, Laurel, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by W. Daniel Hinchcliff, attorney for appellee.

Before WALLER, P.J., EASLEY and GRAVES, JJ.

EASLEY, Justice, for the Court.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 1. Jonathan Duncan was indicted by a Jasper County grand jury in February 2002, for capital murder for allegedly killing Marty Brady, with or without deliberate design, in violation of Miss. Code Ann. § 97-3-19(2)(e), during the commission of the armed robbery of Linda Rayner by placing her in fear of immediate injury to her person by exhibition of a deadly weapon, a gun, and taking approximately $840 in U.S. currency from her which belonged to Brady and Brady's Country Store. Duncan was tried two times on the capital murder indictment. Both trials resulted in a hung jury, and the trial court declared mistrials in both trials.

¶ 2. Duncan was re-indicted in February 2003, on a two-count indictment, Count I: murder for allegedly killing Brady, with deliberate design to effect death, in violation of Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-19 and Count II: armed robbery for allegedly taking property of another, Rayner, by placing her in fear of immediate injury to her person by exhibition of a deadly weapon, a gun, and taking approximately $840 in U.S. currency from her which belonged to Brady and Brady's Country Store, in violation of Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-79. At the State's request, the trial court dismissed the original indictment in cause no. 22-36 based on the re-indictment in cause no. 23-22. The entry of nolle prosequi as to the original indictment was made and granted by the trial court prior to the third trial.

¶ 3. Duncan received a jury trial on the two-count indictment. Duncan did not testify. The jury returned a verdict of guilty of armed robbery on Count II of the indictment, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on Count I for Brady's murder. The jury sentenced Duncan to life imprisonment for the armed robbery conviction.

¶ 4. Following the conviction and sentence, the trial court denied Duncan's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, in the alternative, a new trial. Duncan now appeals to this Court in forma pauperis.

FACTS

¶ 5. On or about June 8, 2001, two black males wearing ski masks, gloves, and brandishing pistols entered Brady's Country Store, a convenience store located in Jasper County, Mississippi. Rayner testified that when the two men came in the store she was in the process of "getting ready to close up" the store and "tallying up the money." When the two men entered the store, Rayner was standing behind the counter counting money and talking on the telephone and to her brother, Brady. Rayner testified that both men had guns which they pointed at Brady. The men instructed Rayner and Brady to give them the money. Rayner heard a shot, and she saw Brady fall to the floor. Rayner testified that she did not see which man shot Brady. Rayner stated that when Brady was shot, she saw him fall to the floor, and she then went "hysterical." Rayner then fell to the floor and started screaming. According to Rayner, when Brady fell to the floor, the shorter, stockier of the two men came behind the counter and took the money from her. She testified that he said, "give me the money bitch." Rayner described the other man *775 as taller and thinner with a "lower left eye." Rayner testified that she handed the money over to the men because she was afraid for her own life. The two men left the store with approximately $840 in cash, and she heard a car "crank up and leave."

¶ 6. Co-defendant, Jamie Jones, testified on behalf of the State. Jones had been indicted for capital murder, but he pled to armed robbery in exchange for dismissal of the capital murder charge. Jones stated that he pled without a recommendation from the State and understood that he could be sentenced to life for the armed robbery. Jones testified that prior to the robbery on June 8, 2001, he had stolen a Nissan Altima sometime around Memorial Day 2001. The Altima was stolen from Cheryl Daly on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. According to Jones, Daly's boyfriend requested that he steal the Altima and dispose of it. Jones testified that he stole the car and drove it to his hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, to hide it. He parked the car in the parking lot of the Masonite Corporation.

¶ 7. Jones testified that on June 8, 2001, while driving around in his Nissan Maxima, he saw Duncan at a car wash. He had known Duncan for a couple of weeks. Jones had the idea to rob the convenience store to get some money. Subsequently, Jones then testified to the contrary that it was Duncan's idea to rob the convenience store. Jones and Duncan drove to Duncan's home to obtain ski masks and gloves.

¶ 8. They then drove to the home of Anthony "Hitman" Horne to obtain a .45 caliber handgun. Jones testified that he already had a BB pistol which looked like a 9mm handgun. The two then drove to the parking lot at the Masonite Corporation to retrieve the stolen Altima. Duncan drove the Maxima to Jones's sister-in-law's home and parked it there. Jones followed in the stolen Altima. The two left together in the stolen Altima to rob the convenience store.

¶ 9. Jones testified that they both entered the store. Jones testified that while he was trying to get the woman off the telephone, he heard two shots fired and saw the man fall to the floor. According to Jones, Duncan told him to get the money. Jones went behind the counter and got the money. They both then exited the store and left in the stolen Altima. After they divided the money taken in the robbery, Jones dropped off Duncan. Jones then poured gasoline in the Altima and set it on fire. He then walked home.

¶ 10. Horne testified that Duncan told him he shot the man in the convenience store. Horne testified that he had known Duncan for about a year, but he later testified that it was about two weeks. Horne finally stated that he could not recall how long he had known Duncan. Horne testified that he supplied the .45 caliber handgun.

¶ 11. Chief Deputy Doug Hill, the lead investigator, testified that the burned Altima was recovered. Inside the Altima, they recovered ski masks and gloves. Many of the hair samples collected did not produce sufficient characteristics in order to be tested. The fingerprints and hair samples that were collected and tested did not match any of the samples obtained from Duncan nor Jones. Samples of fingerprints and hair were collected from Horne, but they were not tested against those recovered. Deputy Hill testified that Jones was 5'6" and weighed over 200 pounds; Duncan was 5'8" and weighed 140 pounds. Deputy Hill testified that Horne was 6'1".

DISCUSSION

I. Re-Indictment

*776 ¶ 12. Duncan received two mistrials based on hung jury's as to the charge of capital murder that was based on Brady's murder during the armed robbery. The State re-indicted Duncan under two counts, murder and armed robbery, arising from the same facts and circumstances.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
939 So. 2d 772, 2006 WL 2291165, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/duncan-v-state-miss-2006.