State v. Codianna

573 P.2d 343, 1977 Utah LEXIS 1012
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 29, 1977
Docket14248
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 573 P.2d 343 (State v. Codianna) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Codianna, 573 P.2d 343, 1977 Utah LEXIS 1012 (Utah 1977).

Opinions

WILKINS, Justice:

All statutory references are to Utah Code Annotated, 1953, as enacted in 1973, Title 76, Utah Criminal Code, unless otherwise indicated.

On August 8, 1975, Defendants Gypsy Allen Codianna, Irvin Paul Dunsdon and Craig Derrickson Marvell were convicted by a jury in the District Court for Carbon County of the crime of murder in the first degree of Michael Hogan in violation of Section 76-5-202(l)(d), as enacted in 1973.1 After the return of the verdict, each defendant in person and by his attorney waived the jury for the penalty phase of the trial, which was held before the Court.2 At that hearing the Court considered mitigating and aggravating circumstances, determined that the death penalty should be imposed, and sentenced each defendant to [346]*346death by shooting at the Utah State Prison. Each defendant appeals.

During the guilt phase of the trial the State called the victim’s roommate, Ralph Muncy, who testified that shortly after midnight on April 9, 1975, he and the victim were awakened by loud knocking on the door; that he heard a voice call out "Hey, Hoagey, it’s me, Cowboy”; that the victim opened the door, and the three men entered, whom Muncy could not identify as it was dark; that one of these men held a rifle to Muncy’s head and told him to go back from where he came; that then the three intruders and the victim struggled and Hogan was dragged outside, calling to Muncy to summon the police; that Muncy heard three gunshots, ran to the door, and saw a truck driving away; and that he searched the area for Hogan and did not find him, but found two blood stains, one in the driveway, and another on the road.

The State also called as a witness, Lee Heath, a neighbor of the victim, who testified that he heard a gunshot at approximately 12:30 a. m. on that April 9th and then two more gunshots in quick succession; that he saw three men climb into a 1957 or 1958 light colored truck near the victim’s driveway, and that one of the men resembled Defendant Marvell, whom he knew, but he could not see the others in the dark; and that he called the police and helped Muncy search the area for Hogan, and also observed bloodstains. He later identified a truck at the police yard as the same truck he had seen that night. He also testified that he knew Defendant Dunsdon, who called himself “Cowboy”.

Utah Highway Patrol Troopers Wilberg and Nordfelt, responding to a radio dispatch, stopped the three defendants in a light green pickup truck at approximately 1:00 a. m. on April 9th at an area called Blue Cut, at the mouth of Price Canyon in Carbon County. Defendants Marvell and Dunsdon had blood on their clothing, which proved to be type 0, the blood type of the victim.

Trooper Wilberg found a partially disassembled .22 caliber rifle and several .22 caliber shells behind the seat of the truck. He also found bloody men’s underwear as well as pink powder on the floorboards of the vehicle. The underwear was later identified by Muncy as the clothing the victim was wearing that night.

The troopers followed fresh tire tracks in the snow into Price Canyon, and then into Crandall Canyon, where they discovered the trail of an object having been dragged in the snow. Following this track, the troopers discovered the body of the victim. They also found two beer cans, one of which had pink powder on the top of it, and three different sets of footprints. Pictures were taken of the tire tracks in the canyon, which appeared to be made by the same type of tire as those on the truck in question. Soil samples were taken from the truck and from one of the beer cans found near the victim’s body, which proved to be identical.

Thirteen .22 caliber bullets were removed from the victim’s body, four of which had sufficient markings to show that they had been fired from the rifle found in the back of the truck mentioned above. The State’s medical expert, a medical doctor, testified that he observed an estimated fifty abrasions and contusions on the face, chest, arms, legs, and back of the victim’s body. This expert said some of these had the appearance of being bruises caused by dragging a body, but many others had the appearance of having been caused by blunt objects applied with great force. A bone in the victim’s neck was broken, indicating manual strangulation. The doctor testified that the victim died of multiple gun shot wounds and/or strangulation.

At the penalty hearing, many witnesses, including each of the defendants, testified that the three defendants had attended a beer party on the evening of the 8th of April, at which large quantities - of beer were consumed; and that small yellow pills, which the defendants recognized as valium, were passed around, and marijuana was smoked.

Defendant Marvell testified that he and Codianna had been drinking beer prior to

[347]*347the party, and had had plenty to drink there. He also had taken two “yellow jackets” prior to the party, and in all had taken about 15 “downers” on the 8th of April. He testified that he remembered nothing of the events of that night. He did not remember leaving the party.

Further Marvell testified that he was married but had been separated from his wife for more than a year; that he has four children; that he was raised by his grandmother until he was eight years of age; that he lived with his mother and stepfather until he was fourteen when he left home; and that he met Codianna in California and stayed with him for a month immediately before coming to Utah, from whence he and Codianna intended to go East.

Defendant Codianna testified that he had taken a couple of thorazine tablets about two in the afternoon, prior to the party, had drunk about two pitchers of beer there, had participated in three or four “joints” of marijuana and had taken three or four vali-um pills. The effect on him, he stated, was to make him lose his memory, get lightheaded, and lose his judgment.

Further, Codianna testified he was twenty years of age; that he was adopted at nine months; that he had been in twenty-five foster homes, seven boys’ homes, and three juvenile halls; that he had no relatives and was not married; that he came to Utah with Marvell and two other persons and had been in the State four days before April 8, 1975, intending to go East with Marvell the next day; that he went to the motel where he and Marvell were staying and picked up his (Codianna’s) rifle, which he loaded and gave to Marvell; that the only reason the rifle was taken was for protection as the victim was supposed to have a shotgun and had threatened to shoot someone; that at the victim’s residence, he saw someone talking to Dunsdon and then heard a couple of shots; that he didn’t know the victim was in the back of the truck until he was in a canyon, where he put the victim in the front seat; that he remembers helping the others drag the victim off the road and into the snow; and that he did not shoot the rifle on the evening in question but disassembled it after-wards.

Defendant Dunsdon testified that he had arrived at the party around 10:30 p. m., and within the space of an hour and a half, took four valium pills, drank about ten cups of beer, and had a couple of puffs on a “joint” of marijuana. He and his girlfriend had smoked marijuana before arriving at the party. He testified that all three defendants were staggering and very intoxicated.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Young
853 P.2d 327 (Utah Supreme Court, 1993)
State v. Gardner
789 P.2d 273 (Utah Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Bishop
753 P.2d 439 (Utah Supreme Court, 1988)
State v. Tillman
750 P.2d 546 (Utah Supreme Court, 1987)
Andrews v. Shulsen
802 F.2d 1256 (Tenth Circuit, 1986)
State v. Norton
675 P.2d 577 (Utah Supreme Court, 1983)
Andrews v. Morris
677 P.2d 81 (Utah Supreme Court, 1983)
Codianna v. Morris
660 P.2d 1101 (Utah Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Wood
648 P.2d 71 (Utah Supreme Court, 1982)
State v. Brown
607 P.2d 261 (Utah Supreme Court, 1980)
Hulsey v. Arkansas
439 U.S. 882 (Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Codianna
573 P.2d 343 (Utah Supreme Court, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
573 P.2d 343, 1977 Utah LEXIS 1012, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-codianna-utah-1977.