State v. Jackson

555 S.W.2d 355, 1977 Mo. App. LEXIS 2600
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 8, 1977
DocketNo. KCD 28725
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 555 S.W.2d 355 (State v. Jackson) 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. Jackson, 555 S.W.2d 355, 1977 Mo. App. LEXIS 2600 (Mo. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

PRITCHARD, Chief Judge.

Appellant was charged (upon the state’s sustained motion to reduce the charge) and convicted of second degree murder by the verdict of a jury, and was sentenced by the court, upon its finding that appellant was a second offender, to 99 years imprisonment in the Department of Corrections. His first point is that the court erred in not suppressing a tape recording of his confession (which was admitted into evidence before the jury, and which was the only evidence submitted as to his guilt of the crime charged) because it was obtained in violation of his constitutional rights.

Lieutenant Harold V. Atkinson, a Missouri State Penitentiary corrections officer, [356]*356was found stabbed to death in a cell on January 20, 1975. Thereafter, other inmates and appellant were interviewed by investigators, and appellant was interviewed by Cole County investigator, Mark Sehreiber, four times, the first time on February 11,1975, from 7:40 to about 9:10 p. m. At that time appellant was advised of his rights and given a “rights card” but he refused to sign the card or to make any statement whatsoever. It appears that appellant was interviewed two or three times by Captain Jack Stewart, but no confession was made to him personally by appellant.

The second interview was about 22 hours after the first. Appellant did then sign a “rights form” and did give some statements about the murder, but did not implicate himself. About three hours later a third interview was conducted in the warden’s office, with Sehreiber, Highway Patrolman George Payne and Captain Jack Stewart, of the penitentiary, present, at which time Sehreiber did not again advise appellant of his rights. At this third interview appellant made statements implicating himself in the murder, and an attempt was made to make a tape recording of the interview, but it failed because the operator of the machine failed properly to depress one of its control buttons. About eight hours later the same morning (February 13, 1975), at 10:20 a. m., appellant had the fourth interview, at which time he was again advised of his rights and signed a “rights card”, and at which a successful tape recording was made.

According to Sehreiber at the time of the first interview when appellant stated that he did not wish to make a statement, the questioning ceased. At the third interview, at which appellant implicated himself, his answers were given voluntarily and without coercion — there was no physical abuse; appellant’s speech was coherent; he did not appear to be on drugs or intoxicants; and he appeared to be in full possession of his mental faculties. Jackson substantially corroborated Sehreiber in these respects, which were again testified to before the jury. Sehreiber denied telling appellant what to say, and he did not tell him that about 25 minutes earlier he had obtained a taped statement, which implicated appellant, from inmate George Williams.

Appellant’s version of the interviews at trial was that he had been beaten and kicked by Stewart and a Lieutenant Lorts after the first interview after he refused to make a statement; Sehreiber and the warden had forced him to make statements at the fourth interview; the only reason he signed the waiver of rights forms was that he feared for his life, which had been threatened by his interrogators; and the warden had promised him a lighter sentence if he would confess.

At the close of the hearing on the pre-trial motion to suppress, the court found that the tape recording was authentic, that speakers were capable of being identified; that the statement of appellant was made voluntarily, and was not a product of coercion, promises, threats, or fear, nor was it induced by promise of leniency; that the Miranda warnings were given and appellant knowingly, willingly and intelligently waived his rights; and that he knowingly and willingly waived counsel. The court further found, for those reasons, beyond a reasonable doubt that the statement was competent evidence, and overruled the motion to suppress it. Although not a point here, it is clear that the court complied with the requirements of Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 84 S.Ct. 1774, 12 L.Ed.2d 908 (1964); and Sims v. Georgia, 385 U.S. 538, 87 S.Ct. 639, 17 L.Ed.2d 593 (1967).

The tape and the recording device have been submitted to this court, and the tape has been listened to by the writer of this opinion. It shows that the interview began at 10:16 a. m., on February 13, 1975, with appellant present, in the Associate Warden’s office at the State Penitentiary. It was specifically stated that the interview was for the purpose of investigation of the murder of Lieutenant Atkinson. Also present were the members of the investigation team. Appellant was specifically advised of his rights: That he had the right to remain silent; any statements made by him [357]*357could be used against him in court; he had a right to have a lawyer with him during questioning; that if he was indigent a lawyer would be appointed for him; and (importantly) that he had a right to stop answering questions at any time. Appellant answered that he understood his rights, and affirmatively answered that he wanted to sign the waiver of rights form, which he did, and that he wanted to give the statement. Then, in quite apparent intelligence, clarity and in detail, appellant, mostly in narrative form, described the stabbing death of Lieutenant Atkinson, his own participation in it and the participation of each of his accomplices, including hiding the body under a cell bed, the clean up operations, and down to the disposal of the knife used by him in the stabbing. Appellant answered affirmatively that his statement was given voluntarily, and that there were no promises, coercion or threats relative thereto.

The burden of proof of establishing the voluntariness of a confession, taken while a suspect is in custody, is, of course, upon the state. State v. Hunter, 456 S.W.2d 314, 316[3—5] (Mo.1970); State v. Blankenship, 526 S.W.2d 78, 81[4,5] (Mo.App.1975). That burden is met if the state presents a prima facie showing of voluntar-iness, and the standard is whether the evidence shows conclusively that the confession is involuntary. State v. Hunter, supra.

Under the evidence, except for one occasion, appellant was clearly given the warnings required by Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). There was testimony on behalf of the state both at the pre-trial hearing and at trial that appellant had not been threatened, coerced, physically abused or otherwise induced to sign the Miranda forms, or to give the statements. In this posture, the credibility of his own testimony concerning the confession was for the jury to determine.

Because he was interrogated six times, two by Stewart, and four by Schreiber, during about 20 days, appellant contends his will was broken down to the point where his confession was obtained. A similar claim was made in State v. Hunter, supra, which was discussed at 456 S.W.2d 302

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

Related

Cornell Jackson v. Donald W. Wyrick, Warden
730 F.2d 1177 (Eighth Circuit, 1984)
State v. Ross
606 S.W.2d 416 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
555 S.W.2d 355, 1977 Mo. App. LEXIS 2600, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jackson-moctapp-1977.