Huckeba v. State

458 S.E.2d 131, 217 Ga. App. 472, 95 Fulton County D. Rep. 1651, 1995 Ga. App. LEXIS 482
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedMay 2, 1995
DocketA95A0687
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 458 S.E.2d 131 (Huckeba v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Huckeba v. State, 458 S.E.2d 131, 217 Ga. App. 472, 95 Fulton County D. Rep. 1651, 1995 Ga. App. LEXIS 482 (Ga. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

Andrews, Judge.

Huckeba was convicted of aggravated assault with intent to rape and of false imprisonment and appeals.

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, it was that the victim was a foreign exchange student who had lived with Huckeba and his wife for two-and-one-half years. At about 6:20 a.m. on February 27, 1992, the victim, who had been asleep in her bedroom, was lying in her bed waiting to arise. She heard a noise and looked up to see Huckeba wearing a ski mask with eye and mouth holes cut out. Huckeba maced the victim, hurting her eyes and burning her throat and nose.

Huckeba covered the victim’s face with the bed sheets and turned on the lights and, after struggling out from under the sheets, she was able to see him. Huckeba placed his hands over her nose and mouth and tied her hands behind her back, causing visible rope burns. He then straddled her.

The victim shouted for Huckeba’s wife. She then called out Huckeba’s name. He continued the assault and tried to tie her legs together with a bathrobe sash and tried to pull off her underwear. Huckeba’s dog, which usually barks at strangers, stood staring at the victim and did not bark until Huckeba jumped on her and she started screaming. The victim stated that she thought that Huckeba was going to rape and kill her.

After Huckeba left, the victim was able to cut the rope and she [473]*473jumped out of her window and ran for help. Later investigation showed that the Huckeba house was not ransacked and there was no evidence of forced entry.

The victim testified that she recognized the attacker as Huckeba 15 to 20 seconds after he jumped on her, by recognizing the smell of sealant-asphalt from his business on him. The victim also recognized Huckeba’s regular rough and heavy breathing, and she saw his mouth through the mouth hole in the mask. She stated that she also recognized his large stomach and his distinctive hands. She recalled that she had taken note of his hands the night before the attack and had noticed that they were very small and rough. The victim stated that she had seen a mask like the one the attacker wore in Huckeba’s closet and had previously seen Huckeba wear it. She recognized the mace spray from seeing it in the living room. The victim was absolutely certain that Huckeba was her attacker.

The neighbor to whose house the victim ran after the attack testified. He stated that the victim ran to his house after the incident on February 27 at about 7:00 a.m. The victim appeared to be very upset, she was shaking, and she told the neighbor that her “exchange father” had tried to rape her. The victim stated that she knew her attacker was Huckeba because he had small distinctive hands. This witness also stated that the Huckeba family owned a dog which barked at strangers.

Officers from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department who responded to the victim’s call testified. One stated that he arrived at the Huckebas’ house and that there were no cars at the residence on the morning of the incident. The victim told the officer that someone had tried to rape her. The officer observed items in the room which were consistent with the victim’s account of the incident.

Another officer testified that Huckeba returned to the residence on the morning of the incident and was very cooperative. The officer stated that Huckeba did not inquire as to the victim’s well being, nor did he ask whether his house had been broken into. The officer stated that he was present when Huckeba was read his Miranda rights and that he witnessed Huckeba consenting to the search of his house.

Officer Ashcraft testified that she received a call regarding the incident at 7:30 a.m. on February 27. She testified that a rope was still hanging off of the victim’s arm when she arrived. She testified that Huckeba consented to the search of his residence and signed a consent form to that effect. She stated that he also signed a form acknowledging that he was read his Miranda rights. She stated that Huckeba stated that he had nothing to hide and gave her the keys to his residence.

Ashcraft stated that Mrs. Huckeba came to the residence shortly after she arrived and that after being told the victim’s account of the [474]*474attack, Mrs. Huckeba stated that she was “not surprised.”

Ashcraft conducted a search of the residence which revealed a videotape of Huckeba and his wife engaging in various sexual activities. Ashcraft also testified that several current Playboy magazines were found on the premises. She also found rope, self-defense surveillance spray, a razor, a bathrobe sash, a pair of Size A Sheer Energy Legg’s pantyhose, and a curtain sash in the victim’s bedroom. There was testimony that the pantyhose found in the victim’s bedroom were the size and type of pantyhose which Mrs. Huckeba wore.

Ashcraft testified that later on that same date, she took statements from the victim, Mrs. Huckeba and Huckeba.

The videotaped statement which Officer Ashcraft took with Officer Copeland from Huckeba was played for the jury. In that statement, Huckeba stated that he was out of town on business at the time of the incident. Officer Copeland testified that during the investigation, Huckeba did not ask any questions regarding the attack and that this lack of curiosity was very unusual.

Mrs. Huckeba testified. She stated that when she left the house at 6:30 a.m. on February 27, the victim’s car was in the driveway. She also testified that the doors to the house were locked when she left for work that morning. After the incident, she recalled that the house was not ransacked and that no items had been stolen. She stated that she owned a mace-type spray, which was moved on the day of the attack. Mrs. Huckeba also stated that her husband’s hands were rough and that he had a fungus on them.

Mrs. Huckeba admitted that during the two-and-one-half year period in which the victim lived in her home, she had sometimes been jealous of the victim’s relationship with Huckeba. Mrs. Huckeba stated that sometimes she felt “left out” of Huckeba’s relationship with the victim. She stated that she did not like the way the victim walked around the house in a shirt and underwear —“half dressed.”

There was testimony that a security video from a company about half a mile from the Huckeba home showed that the Huckebas’ car was in the parking lot of that company at about 4:25 a.m. on the morning of February 27. At about 6:52 a.m. that same date, the Huckeba car was gone.

The victim’s car was reported stolen on February 27. It was located in the same company parking lot at which the Huckebas’ car had been parked. The videotape of that parking lot showed that the victim’s car turned up in the lot by 6:52 on February 27 in the space next to the one in which the Huckeba car had been parked. When the victim’s car was recovered, various items including a camera and the victim’s purse, which contained $45, were found inside. Five dollars was taken from the victim’s purse. There was no evidence of any forced entry into the car, and the car was locked when it was [475]*475recovered.

Huckeba’s defense was alibi. Although Huckeba did not testify at trial, in his statement Huckeba denied any involvement in the crimes charged. He stated that he was out of town at the time of the crimes.

1. Huckeba claims that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of aggravated assault with intent to rape.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Anglin v. State
806 S.E.2d 573 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2017)
Allen v. State
770 S.E.2d 824 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2015)
Roberts v. State
723 S.E.2d 73 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2012)
Towry v. State
695 S.E.2d 683 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2010)
Metts v. State
677 S.E.2d 377 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2009)
Axelburg v. State
669 S.E.2d 439 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2008)
Heath v. State
662 S.E.2d 362 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2008)
State v. Daniel
2008 Ohio 2050 (Clermont County Court of Common Pleas, 2008)
State v. Craycraft
2008 Ohio 2192 (Clermont County Court of Common Pleas, 2008)
McGruder v. State
632 S.E.2d 730 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2006)
Murray v. State
569 S.E.2d 636 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2002)
Williams v. State
546 S.E.2d 74 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2001)
Van Doran v. State
536 S.E.2d 163 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2000)
Green v. State
523 S.E.2d 581 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1999)
Todd v. State
498 S.E.2d 142 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1998)
Wright v. State
475 S.E.2d 670 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1996)
Brannon v. State
469 S.E.2d 716 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1996)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
458 S.E.2d 131, 217 Ga. App. 472, 95 Fulton County D. Rep. 1651, 1995 Ga. App. LEXIS 482, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/huckeba-v-state-gactapp-1995.