Kennemore v. State

153 S.E.2d 307, 223 Ga. 41, 1967 Ga. LEXIS 406
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedJanuary 5, 1967
Docket23835
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 153 S.E.2d 307 (Kennemore v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kennemore v. State, 153 S.E.2d 307, 223 Ga. 41, 1967 Ga. LEXIS 406 (Ga. 1967).

Opinion

Mobley, Justice.

Richard Kennemore was indicted, tried, and convicted of the murder of Donald Marlowe with recommendation of mercy and sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed therefrom and enumerates eight errors.

The first seven errors alleged are that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict, and that the trial court erred in not directing a verdict of acquittal and in denying the defendant’s motion for judgment of acquittal notwithstanding the verdict.

We have carefully reviewed the evidence, which is entirely circumstantial, and will briefly recount that which is material. Donald Marlowe was found lying on the ground near his overturned 1963 white Corvair automobile just off the right side of U. S. Highway 129 in Jackson County at about 11 p.m. on February 27, 1965. His car was resting on its top and the wheels were still turning when the first witness arrived on the scene. He was still breathing but was dead a short time later when he arrived at the hospital in Gainesville. The doctor upon examining him found that he had a shotgun wound in the lower part of his left rib cage. It was his opinion that he had been shot at close range within two feet, and died from the shotgun wound within five minutes. Most of the bleeding [42]*42was internal. It was not discovered that he had been shot until his body was examined at the hospital.

Shotgun pellets and wadding were dug out of the wound, which were identified as having come from a twelve-gauge shotgun. The Corvair had a large hole just to the rear of the door on the left side, which penetrated the outside shell of the automobile but not the inside, and around the hole were slight indentations, and pellets from a twelve-gauge shotgun were found behind the panel of the door. The top of the Corvair was caved in, and the left rear panel and left rear bumper were damaged; and there was white paint on the left rear bumper. The left rear tail light lens was broken. State Patrolman Angel, who arrived at the scene of the accident about an hour after it occurred, testified that the Corvair was white but was in the process of repair and had some gray primer paint and some maroon or red color on it in places. He described skid marks on the pavement, torn turf on the side of the road, debris, broken glass, and a small blood stain, and the damaged Corvair. From a break in the skid marks and other physical facts it was his opinion, based upon his vast experience in investigating automobile wrecks, that the Corvair liad been struck from the rear on the left side by another vehicle and that the car was traveling in excess of seventy miles per hour. His opinion was that Marlowe was either thrown out of the car or crawled out after it turned over. The left rear window of the car was broken out and was large enough for a person to crawl through.

There was evidence that there had been ill feeling between the deceased and the defendant, Richard Kennemore, for two or three years; that the deceased had been taking defendant’s wife out, had taken her to Florida on one occasion, and two days before the deceased was killed she and the defendant had been to a lawyer to discuss divorce proceedings and a trial separation was agreed upon. It appeared that the defendant had not been at home with her either night since. Two witnesses testified that within three of four weeks or more before February 27th, the defendant rode by the filling station where Marlowe was working and “hollered” to him: “I’m going to [43]*43kill you, you God damn son of a bitch.” And, Marlowe told Larry Smith on Friday before he was killed on Saturday that defendant had called him that day and threatened to kill him.

Charles Hendrixson testified that around noon on February 27, 1965, defendant borrowed a Pontiac from him, but brought it back in a few minutes saying it wasn’t much automobile. He then let him have a Volkswagen, which he brought back Monday afternoon. It had a bad headlight.

John Howard Keesler testified that his wife was the aunt of defendant, and of William Kennemore and Lawrence Kennemore; that Richard Kennemore came by his house about 7 or 7:30 p.m. on February 27, 1965, and was driving his white Corvair and stayed about thirty minutes; that William Kennemore came by about thirty minutes after Richard Kennemore left, and William left driving Keesler’s white Valiant; that he skid he had a date, and that the Volkswagen just had one light, so he loaned him his Valiant. William came in a little after 11 that night. The next morning, Keesler drove the Valiant to his father’s house, and left it there, and drove away from there in a ’52 Plymouth. The Valiant was left at the edge of the driveway at the rear of the lot. When the officer came to look at it he noticed it was damaged on the right front, and said that he hit the Valiant with the Plymouth — which was after William had returned it. It was not damaged when loaned to William. He testified that when he hit the Valiant it bent the bumper and the fender and broke the headlight on the right front of it.

Henry Smith testified that Evelyn, Kennemore’s mother, lives one and 1/2 blocks from him in Gainesville, and about 9 p.m. on February 27th, 1965, he saw a car parked in front of his house; that he went out to see who it was and found Richard Kennemore in the car, a white Valiant, and there was someone with him whom he didn’t know; that Richard told him he was watching his mother-in-law’s house for his wife who was there; that he stayed out there four or five minutes and returned to the house.

Larry Smith testified that Don Marlowe was at the filling station which he operates until 10:30-10:40’ p.m. on February [44]*4427, 1965, when he left in his white Corvair and he had Tony Porter with him, whom he was to take home. He also testified that there was a lot of tension between Richard and Don during the thirty days before Donald was killed; and that for more than two years they had been having trouble; on one occasion Donald had beaten up Richard and on another occasion Richard had shot up Donald’s car and had put a cocked pistol to his temple.

Tony Porter said Don Marlowe took him home from the filling station on the night of February 27 about 10:40, that they were followed by a car at a good distance.

Donald Stewart testified that he went to Jefferson on Saturday night, February 27, 1965, and left Jefferson about 11 p.m. and was on his way back to Gainesville traveling on U. S. 129, and as he approached where Holly Spring Road enters the, highway, two cars came out of Holly Spring Road at a high speed, “really driving,” careless and reckless. The first car that pulled out was a light colored car, with some primer paint on it. He didn’t know what kind the second car was but it had two men in it. He didn’t see the person in the first car. It was about 11:30. He knew the first car was a small one but was not sure about the second.

Ed Hudson who was driving the car Donald Stewart was riding in testified that the car that pulled out in front of him was a white Corvair; and he thought the second one was a ’65 Ford; that the way they pulled out made him think it was a police car chasing the front car.

W. T. Underwood testified that he was at home and around 11 p.m. heard cars coming down the road going pretty fast and he thought it might be his boy and he went out to see but it wasn’t; that they were small cars going down the road bumper to bumper.

Mrs. Dewitt Patton testified that she lived about fifty feet from the highway and on February 27, 1965, she was at home when the wreck occurred.

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Bluebook (online)
153 S.E.2d 307, 223 Ga. 41, 1967 Ga. LEXIS 406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kennemore-v-state-ga-1967.