State v. Gillam

588 S.W.2d 13, 1979 Mo. App. LEXIS 2978
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 17, 1979
DocketNo. 39881
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 588 S.W.2d 13 (State v. Gillam) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gillam, 588 S.W.2d 13, 1979 Mo. App. LEXIS 2978 (Mo. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

DOWD, Presiding Judge.

Appellant, Danny Jewel Gillam was convicted of second degree felony murder by a jury in the circuit court of St. Francois County, Missouri and sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Gillam appeals.

In his first four points relied on, appellant challenges the court’s submission [15]*15of MAI-CR 6.06 1 as its instruction # 6 to the jury. In his first point, appellant contends the giving of the instruction was erroneous because it instructed the jury on the crime of conventional murder in the second degree, which was different from the offense of second degree felony murder with which he was charged in the information.

The relevant segments of the second amended information are set forth below: “ . . . that said defendant, Danny

Jewel Gillam on the 31st day of July A.D.1976, at the said County of Washington did then and there with specific and criminal intent, knowingly, maliciously, unlawfully, wrongfully, willfully, on purpose, premeditatedly, feloniously, and of malice aforethought, did make an assault upon one Leon LeRoy Black with a loaded gun, to-wit: a 243 Cal. Winchester automatic rifle, and then and there, felo-niously, willfully, premeditatedly, and of his malice aforethought did discharge and shoot said rifle at and upon the body of the said Leon LeRoy Black thereby felo-niously inflicting a mortal wound upon the said Leon LeRoy Black, from which mortal wound Leon LeRoy Black did die and as part of the same occurrence did willfully, maliciously and feloniously shoot into the motor vehicle in which Leon LeRoy Black was a passenger, as a direct result of which shooting Leon LeR-oy Black did die on July 31, 1976, contrary. . . . ”

As we read the information, the offenses of conventional second degree murder (first part) and second degree felony murder (second part) are separately pleaded. The allegation that the appellant, in discharging a rifle at Mr. Black and thereby killing him, acted intentionally, willfully, premeditatedly and with malice aforethought constitutes a charge of conventional second degree murder. State v. Randolph, 496 S.W.2d 257 (Mo. banc 1973). The allegation that the appellant shot into a motor vehicle, thereby causing the death of Mr. Black, charges second degree felony murder. State v. Williams, 529 S.W.2d 883 (Mo. banc 1975). Since we find the information charged both conventional second degree murder and second degree felony murder, appellant’s point that the court submitted an instruction (conventional second degree murder) for a crime with which appellant had not been charged must fail.

The record reveals that on July 31, 1976 Carl Crocker and Leon LeRoy Black were four wheeling in a jeep through Potosi, Missouri. A deputy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department viewed the jeep as it traveled on Highway 8, and improperly passed another vehicle on the right. The deputy turned on his car’s red lights, and began to pursue the jeep. While following the jeep as it headed into town and circled blocks, the deputy radioed for assistance from the Potosi Police Department. A Potosi Police Officer heard the call, and attempted to block the exit of a parking lot with his vehicle. The deputy chased the jeep into the parking lot and fired a warning shot up in the air because his siren was inoperative. As the jeep exited the parking lot, it struck the front of the Potosi Police Officer’s car and continued on its way out of town. The jeep turned onto Highway P, followed by the Potosi Police Officer’s car and the deputy’s car.

The appellant, Danny Jewel Gillam had heard the deputy’s request for assistance on his citizen’s scanner which was tuned in to the Sheriff’s Department. The appellant had assisted the police before, but had never been deputized. On hearing that the jeep was traveling down Highway P, the appellant moved his jeep onto the highway to effect a roadblock. Before the jeep had reached appellant’s roadblock, the appellant was advised by the deputy over the monitor, “don’t you mess with them. They are dangerous”. As the jeep approached the roadblock, the appellant shot at the jeep’s tires. The jeep negotiated around the roadblock and continued traveling on the highway. Carl Crocker testified that as he and the victim passed the appellant, they observed the latter pointing a rifle at them. The victim remarked that he thought “the guy (was) going to shoot us”.

[16]*16Aiming at the right rear tire, appellant fired a second shot which pierced Black’s left eye and severed his brain stem. Crock-er testified that when the bullet struck Black, he fell into Crocker’s lap, and “there was blood flying everywhere.” Crocker drove a few more miles, and then pulled the jeep onto the shoulder of the road. The two police officers arrived on the scene, searched and handcuffed Crocker, and took him to the Potosi City Police Office. An ambulance was summoned to retrieve Black’s body.

The evidence introduced in support of the pleading of conventional second degree murder in the information justified the submission of instruction # 6 to the jury. On cross-examination the appellant contended that he did not intend to kill the occupants of the jeep. The appellant admitted, however, that the call for assistance was not intended for him, that he went to his gun cabinet and got his .243 Winchester, drove his jeep onto Highway P, and voluntarily squeezed the trigger when the jeep carrying the victims passed by. The appellant also admitted that he was aware that his bullet could have missed the tire and punctured the gas tank. He also admitted that it was foreseeable that the bullet could have hit a tire, caused an accident, and resulted in serious bodily injury to the occupants of the vehicle.

In his second point relied on, appellant contends that the giving of instruction # 6 was erroneous because there was no evidence that the appellant intended to inflict serious bodily harm on either the victim or Carl Crocker. We disagree.

The element of intent, which is a prerequisite to a finding of second degree murder, may be inferred from the circumstances. State v. Allen, 530 S.W.2d 415, 420 (Mo.App.1975). In ascertaining the element of intent, the jury may consider the type of weapon used, the mode in which it was used, the effect of its use, as well as all of the surrounding circumstances. State v. Woolford, 545 S.W.2d 367, 371 (Mo.App.1976).

As stated above, appellant admitted that his shooting at the jeep was a voluntary act. He considered himself to be a good marksman. He was aware that his act could result in great bodily harm to another. “General criminal intent is found ‘when from the circumstances the prohibited result may reasonably be expected to follow from the offender’s voluntary act, irrespective of any subjective desire to have accomplished such result’ ”. State v. Shuler, 486 S.W.2d 505, 509 (Mo.1972) quoting 22 C.J.S. Criminal Law § 35. There was sufficient evidence in the record from which the jury could find the requisite intent for a conviction of second degree murder. Point two is ruled against the appellant.

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Bluebook (online)
588 S.W.2d 13, 1979 Mo. App. LEXIS 2978, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gillam-moctapp-1979.