Jason Merritt Overbey v. Commonwealth of Virginia

779 S.E.2d 849, 65 Va. App. 636, 2015 Va. App. LEXIS 374
CourtCourt of Appeals of Virginia
DecidedDecember 15, 2015
Docket1470142
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 779 S.E.2d 849 (Jason Merritt Overbey v. Commonwealth of Virginia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jason Merritt Overbey v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 779 S.E.2d 849, 65 Va. App. 636, 2015 Va. App. LEXIS 374 (Va. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

ROSSIE D. ALSTON, JR., Judge.

Jason Merritt Overbey (“appellant”) appeals the trial court’s denial of his motion to suppress statements made to law enforcement and the derivative evidence from those state *640 ments, based on alleged violations of the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Virginia, Article I, Sections 8 and 11. We find no error in the trial court’s ruling and therefore affirm appellant’s convictions.

I. Background

Appellant was arrested on two counts each of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony on May 22, 2011, after Kenneth Moore, Jr. and Robert Mann were found shot and killed on the Moore family farm. Kenneth Moore, Sr. was appellant’s employer at the time. Appellant was indicted for these offenses on February 14, 2012. On April 5, 2012, appellant filed a motion to suppress certain statements he made to police based upon alleged violations by the police of appellant’s rights under the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments.

On May 22, 2011, Deputy McDonald located appellant and informed him that he was not under arrest but that “he was being detained for a situation that happened in Powhatan.” Appellant was then handcuffed and seated in Deputy McDonald’s patrol car. Deputy McDonald testified that as he walked appellant to his vehicle, appellant said that he did not want to make any statements, however appellant then continued talking. Deputy McDonald and appellant were seated in the patrol vehicle when Detective Tackett arrived and asked to speak with appellant. At that time, appellant stated “I don’t have anything to say without a lawyer.” Detective Tackett testified that he then walked away and Deputy McDonald testified that as soon as Detective Tackett walked away, appellant “began to cry and stated they got me for murder, they got me for murder.” No other interaction occurred between appellant and law enforcement at that time.

Appellant was eventually transported to the Powhatan Correctional Center by Corporal Smith. According to Corporal Smith’s testimony, as he dropped appellant off at the center, he wished appellant “good luck.” Appellant then responded, “Good luck. You know what the ‘F’ I did.” Appellant then *641 asked Corporal Smith why the police were obtaining a search warrant for the single-family residence where he was apprehended. Corporal Smith responded, “to look for evidence and maybe a gun.” Appellant then stated “you will never find that.”

On May 23, 2011, Detective Wentworth transferred appellant from the Powhatan Correctional Center to the Powhatan Sheriffs Department in order to interview him along with Lieutenant Wolfe. As he was not involved in the events of the previous evening, Detective Wentworth had apparently been informed that “there were some questions whether [appellant] actually requested a lawyer and was actually charged officially,” so “[Detective Wentworth] was told to transport [appellant] and record any utterances that he might have made.” To that end, Detective Wentworth transported appellant in a patrol car with a built-in recording device and also brought a back-up recording device in his pocket. An audio recording of Detective Wentworth’s conversation with appellant was introduced into evidence at the hearing on appellant’s motion to suppress. Detective Wentworth stated that he introduced himself to appellant and asked him his name. Appellant mumbled things during the ride, and Detective Wentworth asked him to speak up as he could not understand him. Detective Wentworth asked appellant some other benign questions, and appellant “rambled on about working for [Moore].” Detective Wentworth then said that while he didn’t know Moore, “he could be hard to work for from what [he had] heard.” Appellant then stated several unsavory things about Moore’s character and behavior. 1 At some point during the ride, appellant complained about having a headache and Detective Wentworth said that “it might benefit [appellant] to talk to somebody and tell the truth. The truth matters.” Detective Wentworth also testified that at some point, appellant stated that he was “screwed” and would never get out of *642 this. Finally, Detective Wentworth said to appellant as they exited the vehicle “I’m really concerned about the firearm, if it’s in a safe manner.”

Lieutenant Wolfe testified that on the morning of May 23, 2011, he contacted the Powhatan Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office to determine whether appellant properly requested an attorney or whether he could interrogate appellant. Lieutenant Wolfe testified that he was informed that he was legally permitted to speak to appellant. Prior to interrogating him, Lieutenant Wolfe testified that he advised appellant of his Miranda rights and presented appellant with a waiver form. This was apparently the first time that appellant was Mirandized. Lieutenant Wolfe stated that he read the form to appellant and told him that the form

says ... that you understand what your rights are. It’s not saying that you’re going to talk to me or anything like that. So I just need to see if you could sign right here saying that you understand I have advised you. And that that is all that that means. Do you understand that? So you or [sic ] would you sign that saying that you understand that we are under agreement on that.

Lieutenant Wolfe did not read the part of the form that said appellant waived his rights by signing the form. Lieutenant Wolfe then removed appellant’s handcuffs, and appellant apparently mumbled something about not being able to afford a lawyer anyway and signed the waiver form.

During the subsequent questioning, appellant made several statements to Lieutenant Wolfe, which were eventually admitted at appellant’s trial. Lieutenant Wolfe testified that appellant stated, “I ain’t getting out of this s— anyway, man. God- mother-.” Appellant admitted to being at the Moore family farm on May 22, 2011, with both of the victims and recounted that Moore yelled at him and threatened to “kick [appellant’s] ... ass,” which angered appellant. When Lieutenant Wolfe outlined his theory of the case to appellant based on his review of the scene and relevant evidence, which, in short, had appellant shooting both victims from behind, *643 appellant told Lieutenant Wolfe, “That’s what happened.” Appellant also told Lieutenant Wolfe that he used a 20-gauge shotgun, which he later placed in the woods near his father’s house. Lieutenant Wolfe admitted that he alluded to the unrecovered firearm during the interrogation and that he did so not just to incriminate appellant, but “for the safety of the other people that are out on the street or wherever the weapon may be.... ” Eventually, appellant agreed to lead the authorities to the shotgun and Lieutenant Wolfe testified that the authorities would not have found the shotgun without appellant’s cooperation.

Appellant did not challenge the admissibility of his statements to Deputy McDonald and Corporal Smith in his motion to suppress, nor does he challenge them on appeal. Appellant admits that those statements were spontaneous and not in response to police questioning.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
779 S.E.2d 849, 65 Va. App. 636, 2015 Va. App. LEXIS 374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jason-merritt-overbey-v-commonwealth-of-virginia-vactapp-2015.