Simpson v. State

181 S.W.3d 743, 2005 WL 2862156
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 29, 2006
Docket12-03-00379-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 181 S.W.3d 743 (Simpson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Simpson v. State, 181 S.W.3d 743, 2005 WL 2862156 (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

SAM GRIFFITH, Justice.

Lionel Simpson appeals his conviction for capital murder. In three issues, Appellant contends that the trial court erred in admitting certain evidence and that the evidence was insufficient to corroborate the testimony of the accomplice witnesses. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

After Geraldine Davidson, an eighty-three year old retired schoolteacher, was reported missing on January 26, 2000, her body was discovered in the Neches River. Appellant’s brother, Danielle Simpson, immediately became a suspect in Davidson’s disappearance and murder. On January 28, as the police searched a known drug house’ in an attempt to locate Danielle, they discovered Appellant. He was taken into custody because the officers had probable cause to believe that delinquent conduct was occurring in their presence or view. Because Appellant was a juvenile, he was taken to the juvenile detention center. The same day, Jennifer Simpson, an accomplice, made a voluntary statement to authorities implicating Appellant in Davidson’s murder. At a detention hearing in juvenile court on January 31, the court ordered that Appellant remain detained because he was accused of committing a felony offense and/or might be dangerous to himself or others if released. After the State petitioned the juvenile court for a discretionary transfer to adult criminal court, 1 the court ordered a com- *747 píete diagnostic study of Appellant. 2 As a result, Mary Cox, Ph.D., conducted a psychological examination of Appellant. Cox testified at the transfer hearing, and the examination was admitted into evidence. The juvenile court waived its exclusive original jurisdiction as to the felony offense alleged and ordered that the case be immediately transferred to the appropriate criminal district court. 3 Thereafter, Appellant was charged by indictment with the capital murder of Geraldine Davidson. Appellant pleaded “not guilty.”

The State presented approximately twenty-seven witnesses at trial. Two were accomplice witnesses. The first, Jennifer Simpson, testified that she pleaded guilty to Davidson’s murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. At the time of Davidson’s murder, she was married to Appellant’s brother, Danielle. Jennifer testified that, on the morning of January 26, 2000, she, Danielle, and Edward “Pete” McCoy broke into Davidson’s house, while Davidson was out, in an attempt to steal money. When Davidson returned home, Danielle asked her for money, but Davidson stated that she had none. On Danielle’s instructions, Jennifer put tape across Davidson’s mouth, and Pete helped Danielle put Davidson in the trunk of Davidson’s car. The three stole forty dollars from Davidson’s purse and threw the purse and the contents of her car behind an old Wal-Mart, which was located between some apartments by a field. They also obtained and smoked some marijuana. Jennifer testified that the three spent the next few hours traveling to various towns and places in Davidson’s car. When they returned to Palestine, they parked the vehicle and walked to their house. 4 At approximately 3:00 to 3:30 p.m., they walked back to the car with Christina Walker, Pete’s sister. As Christina got in the car, she heard Davidson kick the trunk. According to Jennifer, as they were driving back by their house, Christina asked to be dropped off. Jennifer, Danielle, and Pete then went to the Swantz Inn to pick up Appellant. Jennifer testified that Appellant asked Danielle if he “[did] it,” and Danielle responded “yeah.” Then, Appellant got in the vehicle and they traveled to a Jack-in-the-Box. Jennifer was sent inside to get food, and Appellant followed her in later, telling her to hurry. Jennifer testified that Appellant was wearing an orange toboggan and a Green Bay Packers jacket at the time.

After getting the food, they drove to Wal-Mart where Appellant bought heavy gray tape. Jennifer testified that Appellant and Danielle also talked about a river. They drove the vehicle to a dead-end spot because Appellant wanted to see Davidson. All of them got out of the vehicle, and Danielle opened the trunk. According to Jennifer, Appellant took Davidson from the trunk and threw her “sort of roughly” on the ground. Appellant “flipped” Davidson over, taped her hands and mouth, and then wound the tape around her head. Once back in Davidson’s car, they went to an old house where Appellant found a cinder block and put it in the trunk. She believed Appellant began tying the cinder block to Davidson’s leg. Jennifer stated that she heard “something like [Appellant] hitting her.” Once back in the vehicle, Appellant told them that he had hit Davidson and that “he never liked white folks anyway.” Jennifer testified that, to her *748 knowledge, neither she, Pete, nor Danielle had hit Davidson.

At that point, they went to the river. Danielle backed the vehicle up to the river, and he and Appellant got out. Jennifer pushed the brake and heard them “messing” with Davidson. Someone told Pete to get out of the car to get a stick, and Pete got out of the car. Jennifer believed she saw both Appellant’s and Danielle’s arms move as if they were throwing something. After they left the river, they took Appellant to McDonald’s and to the house of his girlfriend, Occtayvia Clewis. Jennifer said that throughout the next two days, Danielle attempted to avoid the police and she had sporadic contact with Appellant. She was taken to the juvenile detention center after she voluntarily agreed to make a statement.

Pete, the other accomplice witness, testified that he pleaded guilty to capital murder and was sentenced to thirteen years in the Texas Youth Commission. Pete was Appellant’s and Danielle’s cousin. Pete testified that he accompanied Danielle and Jennifer to Davidson’s house to steal money. Pete’s version of Davidson’s kidnapping and murder was similar to Jennifer’s, although he denied helping Danielle put Davidson in the trunk of her car. Pete testified that when they picked up Appellant near the Swantz Inn, Danielle opened the trunk and showed Davidson to other persons, including Appellant. According to Pete, Appellant was wearing a Green Bay Packers jacket and orange toboggan. After Appellant saw Davidson in the trunk and before he got in the car, Pete heard Appellant tell Danielle “[ljet’s go kill her.” He testified, as Jennifer had, that Appellant took Davidson out of the trunk and “slammed” her on the ground and back into the trunk after “yank[ing]” the tape around her mouth and legs. Further, Pete testified that Appellant hit Davidson again. Pete also heard Appellant hitting Davidson after he put the cinder block in the trunk.

Once they were at the river, Appellant told Pete to get out of the car and he did. Pete testified that he did not comply when Appellant instructed him to get a stick. He also testified that, once Davidson was out of the trunk, Danielle kicked her in the face and threw the cinder block into the water. Then, Danielle and Appellant together swung Davidson and threw her in the river. According to Pete, Davidson was moaning and kicking when she hit the water. Danielle went to look for more money in the area where he had thrown Davidson’s purse. There he threw out the trash in the car, including the Jack-in-the-Box bag. Danielle then took Pete home.

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Bluebook (online)
181 S.W.3d 743, 2005 WL 2862156, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/simpson-v-state-texapp-2006.