Jolly v. State

1973 OK CR 168, 508 P.2d 675, 1973 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 785
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 27, 1973
DocketNo. A-17831
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1973 OK CR 168 (Jolly v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jolly v. State, 1973 OK CR 168, 508 P.2d 675, 1973 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 785 (Okla. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

BUSSEY, Judge.

Appellant, Michael Ray Jolly, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged with Co-defendants Jerry Don Sharp and Teddy Eugene Herndon in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Case No. CRF-71-2684, with the offense of Murder. Severances were granted. Trial was had to a jury which found defendant guilty and fixed his punishment at life imprisonment. From said judgment and sentence, a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

At the trial, James Williams testified that he worked at Frontier City and at approximately 4:00 a. m. on October 15, 1971, he discovered that his car had been broken into. The wing window on the driver’s side was smashed. He proceeded to find the night watchman, Jack Turner, to report the incident and discovered him in his car slumped down under the steering wheel. He woke up the park manager, Mr. Rinehart, and the two of them returned to Turner’s car. They attempted to arouse Turner and, upon failing to do so, called the police. He subsequently discovered that some stereo tapes and a garage door opener were missing from his car. The garage door opener was discovered in a nearby trash cán.

Leon Rinehart testified that on October 15, 1971 he was employed at Frontier City and that day he had hired Jack Turner as night watchman. He was awakened by Fletcher Williams at approximately 4:00 a. m. They proceeded to Jack Turner’s car and he attempted to awaken him. He touched Turner’s arm and it felt “cold and clammy”. (Tr. 17) the time card showed that the last station check was made by Turner at 1:45 a. m. The southern portion of a fence around the Ghost Mine was broken.

Officer W. E. Martin of the Oklahoma City Police Department testified that he went to Frontier City in the early morning hours of October 16, 1971 and observed the dead body of Jack Turner in a car. He [676]*676went back to his patrol car and radioed headquarters for lab technicians.

Officer Tim Stinson, a lab technician with the police department, testified that he took a picture of the deceased at the morgue. He identified a plaster cast which he took from an impression in the ground inside the rear gate at Frontier City.

Officer Tom Bevel, an Oklahoma City Police Department lab technician, identified various pictures which he took at the scene. He identified State’s Exhibit No. 27 as a spent projectile that he found in Turner’s car:

Mrs. Jack Turner, the deceased’s wife, testified that on the night of October 15, 1971, her husband was carrying a .38-cali-ber revolver and wore a gold watch. She identified State’s Exhibit No. 28 as her husband’s revolver.

Orville Burr testified that he was Jerry Don Sharp’s employer and purchased State’s Exhibit No. 25, a 30.06 rifle, approximately eight or nine years ago. In July or August of 1971 he. sold the rifle to Sharp. He further testified that at his place of employment there were metal stencils for punching numbers onto metal.

Michelle Randleman testified that in October 1971 she lived in the same house as Jerry Don Sharp, Robert Purdue and Ted Herndon. Some time after October 16, she saw Jerry Don Sharp give the rifle, State’s Exhibit No. 25, to Joe Yadon.

Joe Yadon testified that Jerry Don Sharp gave him the rifle, State’s Exhibit No. 25, to keep for him. He fired the rifle at specific locations for ballistic purposes and anonymously called the police department and told them where to find the fired bullets. He went to Sharp’s residence and observed a “warrant for murder” naming specificially the 30.06. He threw the rifle into a farm pond on South Western. When he returned home, the police were waiting and he subsequently showed the police officers the pond.

Frank Baugus, an Oklahoma City fireman, testified that he retrieved the rifle from a pond. The defendant stipulated that Baugus gave the rifle to Officer Don Rodgers.

Officer R. W. Smith testified that he observed State’s Exhibit No. 28, Turner’s pistol, in a search of the trunk of Jerry Don Sharp’s car on November 9, 1971. Also found in the trunk was a spent 30.06 cartridge.

Officer B. J. Revels identified certain photographs he took of Jerry Don Sharp’s vehicle showing the pistol and spent cartridge.

Defendant stipulated that State’s Exhibit No. 30 was a pair of Herndon’s shoes that matched the plaster cast taken at Frontier City.

Lieutenant Don Rodgers testified that he received the physical evidence from the various officers and transported it to the FBI for analysis on November 11, 1971. The defendant stipulated to the admission of the FBI report concerning the evidence. Rodgers testified that the serial number on State’s Exhibit No. 28, Turner’s pistol, had been altered with the number 61350. He further testified that Jerry Don Sharp’s birthday was the sixth month, thirteenth day of 1950.

The defendant stipulated to the autopsy report of Dr. Jay Chapman which adduced that the deceased died of a gunshot wound to the back and neck.

Ted Eugene Herndon testified that he was jointly charged with the defendant with the murder. On the evening of October 15, 1971, he, the defendant, and Jerry Don Sharp met at “Kip’s” and discussed burglarizing the Indian Trading Post at Frontier City. They parked by the Road House and walked to Frontier City. The defendant and Sharp squeezed through the fence and he climbed over. He identified the shoes he was wearing. Sharp had State’s Exhibit No. 25, the 30.06 rifle, and he had a .38-caliber pistol of Sharp’s. They also had a pry bar. They watched the night watchman check the buildings and then parked in front of the general office. Sharp asked “if we thought he [677]*677would shoot the guard.” He replied, “I don’t want no part of it.” The defendant stated, “Sure, go ahead. He didn’t think he would.” Sharp kneeled down and Herndon testified that he heard a shot fired. The defendant reached down and picked up the gun hull. Herndon then broke and ran, running into the fence. He went down a short ways and then came back. The defendant and Sharp were over by the guard’s car going through his property. The defendant was holding the rifle. Sharp told him to go over and check the “House of Gems to see if it had a burglar alarm.” (Tr. 83) He checked the building for a burglar alarm and, upon returning, Sharp was inside the car going through the guard’s pockets. Sharp removed his watch, pistol and money. Sharp gave the defendant Twenty Dollars ($20.00) of the guard’s money. He and the defendant broke into another car and took some stereo tapes and a garage door opener. He threw the garage door opener into a barrel nearby. They then returned to Sharp’s car and left.

On cross-examination, Herndon denied being promised anything by the State for testifying. He testified that the stereo tapes removed from the car at Frontier City were found in his house. He admitted that he and Jerry Don Sharp had been to Frontier City approximately a week earlier armed with the same weapons. He admitted giving two different statements to the police officers. He denied being at Hollie’s Drive-In earlier that evening and drinking beer. He testified that he was afraid of Jerry Don Sharp.

The defendant testified in his own behalf that he was twenty-one years old and had been convicted of two prior felonies. He closed up the sandwich shop where he worked on the evening in question about 11:05 p. m. He, Jerry Don Sharp, Teddy Herndon and William Robbins went to his house where he changed clothes and then to Hollie’s Drive-In where they drank beer.

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Related

Crawford v. State
1992 OK CR 62 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1992)

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Bluebook (online)
1973 OK CR 168, 508 P.2d 675, 1973 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 785, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jolly-v-state-oklacrimapp-1973.