Kopsho v. State

84 So. 3d 204, 37 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 149, 2012 WL 652790, 2012 Fla. LEXIS 454
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 1, 2012
DocketNo. SC09-1383
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 84 So. 3d 204 (Kopsho v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kopsho v. State, 84 So. 3d 204, 37 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 149, 2012 WL 652790, 2012 Fla. LEXIS 454 (Fla. 2012).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

William Michael Kopsho was convicted of first-degree murder based on the October 27, 2000, shooting death of his wife, Lynne Ann Kopsho. Kopsho appeals his conviction of first-degree murder and sentence of death. We have mandatory jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. For the reasons explained in more detail below, we affirm Kopsho’s conviction and sentence.

[209]*209FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Guilt Phase

Kopsho was initially tried by jury beginning February 23, 2005. The jury heard the story of Lynne’s murder primarily in Kopsho’s own words through a recording of his 911 call immediately after the shooting and a separate recording of his interview with Sergeant Jeff Owens of the Marion County Sheriffs Office. He was convicted and sentenced to death, but we overturned his conviction because the trial court committed reversible error in the denial of a challenge for cause of a potential juror, and remanded for a new trial. Kopsho v. State, 959 So.2d 168, 169 (Fla.2007).

The evidence presented at Kopsho’s second trial established that Kopsho met Lynne when she was seventeen years old. Lynne moved in with Kopsho when she was eighteen, and they were married on April 24, 1999, when Lynne was nineteen. The Kopshos both worked at Custom Window Systems, but during the summer or fall of 2000, Lynne moved back in with her father and stepmother.

On October 27, 2000, Kopsho shot Lynne after she fled his moving vehicle. Kopsho held witnesses and bystanders at bay until Lynne expired. Kopsho called 911 himself and confessed. He confessed again during his interview with the police after he turned himself over to authorities. Kop-sho explained that he killed Lynne because she told him that she had slept with her former supervisor, Dennis Hisey. He stated that “it was that instant” when he planned to kill her, but that he had to “stay cool” until he had the opportunity to secure a weapon.

The day before the murder, Kopsho visited William Steele, who he knew owned a 9 mm. Kopsho asked to see the weapon, pretending to be in the market for one. The next day, Kopsho went to Wal-Mart and purchased a Crossman BB gun that resembled Steele’s gun. He returned to Steele’s home and switched the Crossman for Steele’s gun. Kopsho also withdrew $3000 in one-hundred dollar bills from his account at Florida Credit Union that morning. He explained that he withdrew the money to take with him to prison, “so it wouldn’t be tied up in his bank.”

After running these errands, Kopsho returned to work and asked Lynne to accompany him to the bank to make a large withdrawal. He told Lynne he needed her signature to make the withdrawal, explaining that he needed the money to go to Ohio to visit his sister. Kopsho parked his truck behind Lynne’s so that she would have to ride with him.

Once in the truck, Kopsho told Lynne they were travelling to a different branch on State Road 40 so that she would not question the route he travelled, which was in the opposite direction of their normal bank branch. He actually intended to drive into Ocala National Forest to kill her. Kopsho hid Steele’s gun in the driver’s door panel and covered the butt so that Lynne would not notice it. Lynne did not notice that he drove in the opposite direction of the bank, but did comment that she thought they had gone too far once they reached the intersection of State Road 40 and Silver Springs. During the drive, Lynne and Kopsho discussed her coming to get her things from their home.

Eventually, Lynne began discussing wanting “closure.” Kopsho replied that he also wanted closure and drew the gun. Lynne tried to jump out of the truck even though Kopsho was still traveling at approximately 60 miles per hour. He applied the brakes and pulled her back by her hair. She grabbed the steering wheel. The truck veered to the side of the road [210]*210and stopped. Lynne broke free and exited the truck. Kopsho pursued her and shot three times. Witnesses observed Lynne’s attempt to escape and heard Kopsho fire the weapon.

Kopsho told a bystander to call the police because he had just shot his wife. He also used his cell phone to call 911. He told the operator, “Yes. I just shot my wife.” He refused to give his name, but gave a description of his clothing. He repeatedly told bystanders to stay away “because it’s a crime scene.” In his statement, he explained that he told the witnesses to stay away because he did not want anyone to help Lynne because he wanted her to die. He cooperated with police once they arrived.

Kopsho never denied guilt: he confessed to the 911 operator and during his interview with the police. He volunteered to police and later stipulated in trial that he literally had Lynne’s blood and gunpowder residue on his hand. Kopsho also emphasized that Lynne’s murder was planned. He repeatedly referred to the crime as “premeditated” and claimed that confessing was “part of the plan.” Kopsho stated that he knew he “was gonna be sitting here talking to [law enforcement] today.” When asked if he was “making anything up to make yourself look worse,” Kopsho stated that he was not. However, Kopsho also stated that “[w]here this happened at was not planned” and that Lynne “might have — she might have even talked me out of this if she wouldn’t have scrambled like she did.” At the end of his statement, Kopsho again announced, “I’ve been honest. I’ve been open with you. I’ve got nothing to lie about. I’m not trying to make myself look any worse than what the situation is. I’m not trying to talk my way out of what I did.”

Dr. Susan Ignacio confirmed that Lynne’s death was caused by eight gunshot wounds, but that the wounds were likely caused by three shots.

Upon this evidence, on May 22, 2009, the jury found Kopsho guilty.

Penalty Phase

During the penalty phase, the State called six witnesses and two witnesses in rebuttal. The witnesses testified regarding Kopsho’s behavior after Lynne was shot; established that Kopsho was serving probation at the time of the murder; provided victim impact statements; and presented testimony from Helen Little, who was presented to establish Kopsho’s prior conviction for kidnapping and sexual assault. The State’s rebuttal witnesses responded to Kopsho’s characterization of his emotional development.

The defense presented eight witnesses who provided information regarding Kop-sho’s strict upbringing; described Kop-sho’s work ethic; provided information relating to the deplorable conditions at the Indiana Boys’ School, where Kopsho spent some time; and presented testimony relating to Kopsho’s emotional development.

Sentencing Order

Kopsho was sentenced to death on July 2, 2009. The trial judge found four aggravating circumstances: (1) that at the time of the murder Kopsho was under a sentence of imprisonment or on felony probation (minimal weight); (2) that Kopsho had committed a prior violent felony (great weight); (3) that the murder was committed during an armed kidnapping (moderate weight); and (4) that the murder was cold, calculated, and premeditated (great weight).

The trial judge found no statutory mitigating circumstances and the following nonstatutory mitigating circumstances: (1) that Kopsho suffered from mental or emotional disturbance (moderate weight); (2) was reared in an unloving home (little [211]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
84 So. 3d 204, 37 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 149, 2012 WL 652790, 2012 Fla. LEXIS 454, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kopsho-v-state-fla-2012.