State v. Mayberry

807 P.2d 86, 248 Kan. 369, 1991 Kan. LEXIS 40
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedMarch 1, 1991
Docket64772
StatusPublished
Cited by86 cases

This text of 807 P.2d 86 (State v. Mayberry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mayberry, 807 P.2d 86, 248 Kan. 369, 1991 Kan. LEXIS 40 (kan 1991).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Herd, J.:

M. C. Mayberry directly appeals his jury convictions of first-degree murder, K.S.A. 21-3401, and aggravated burglary, K.S.A. 21-3716. Mayberry was sentenced pursuant to the habitual criminal act to two consecutive life sentences for the murder conviction and ten to forty years on the aggravated burglary conviction. The sentences run consecutively.

Early in the morning of May 4, 1989, thirteen-year-old Brandi Henks found her slain mother, Dixie Long. Reno County Sheriffs officers and Hutchinson police officers responded to a call for assistance and found the victim lying in her bed, slain by a shotgun blast to her head. Brandi Henks told police officers that, after she had awakened, she found the front door standing open and then found her mother’s body. Henks also stated she believed M. C. Mayberry, Long’s boyfriend, committed the murder because Long and Mayberry had recently been fighting. A broken window at Long’s beauty salon was also reported on the morning of May 4. There were no other signs of entry.

Bloodstain pattern analysis revealed Long was sitting up with a pillow held before her face at the time of death. No murder weapon was ever discovered. Shotgun pellets and wadding, however, were found in the victim’s bedroom. Police discovered telephone wires to the residence had been cut and found evidence of forced entry. Bloodstain directional analysis testing showed there was little likelihood the assailant’s clothing would be bloodied from back splatter.

Testimony produced at trial revealed that Mayberry had purchased a 12-gauge pump shotgun and ammunition on the afternoon of May 3. Friends of Long testified she had been having “problems” with Mayberry and that she suspected he might be involved with earlier burglaries at her residence. On May 3, Long had lunch with Mayberry. Later, the same afternoon, she arrived at work upset and worried that bruises on her neck would show. Long told others she and Mayberry had had a fight during the lunch hour and that he had hit her.

*373 Long’s neighbor stated he saw Mayberry’s car parked in front of Long’s residence about 4:30 a.m. May 4. A friend of Mayberry testified he saw the defendant driving near Long’s residence at 4:00 a.m. on May 4.

A search of Mayberry’s bedroom produced a box of shotgun shells with seven shells missing. Shotgun pellets and wadding found at the crime scene were compared with and found to be consistent with shells in the box discovered at Mayberry’s residence. A pair of needlenose pliers was found in a toolbox in Mayberry’s automobile. Extensive research was conducted on a paint chip found on the pliers. The paint chip consisted of a fine layer of sand and two layers of paint, consistent with the known samples taken from the cut telephone wires.

Mayberry’s residence was placed under surveillance early May 4, and at 8:30 a.m. he left the residence. Police officers followed Mayberry several blocks before pulling him over. Mayberry was ordered from the car at gunpoint, patted down, handcuffed, and driven to the police station for questioning.

At 9:30 a.m. the first of four interviews began. Mayberry was informed he was not in custody but was questioned about Long’s death. Mayberry denied any problems existed in his relationship with Long. The interviewing officer, Detective Baxter, did not advise Mayberry of his Miranda rights until Mayberry provided answers inconsistent with the information possessed by Baxter. Mayberry continued to answer questions but denied striking Long, denied the relationship was breaking up, and denied owning any weapons. During the second interview, Mayberry denied fighting with Long at the May 3 lunch and stated he purchased shotgun shells for his father the previous week, but denied opening the box. During this interview, Mayberry’s clothes and samples of his hair and blood were taken for analysis. At the final interview at 4:50 p.m., Mayberry stated he purchased a shotgun the morning of May 3 and gave it to Long over the noon hour. Mayberry was formally arrested at 6:00 p.m.

At trial, Mayberry’s sole theory of defense was a denial of any involvement in Long’s slaying. On appeal, he asserts the warrantless arrest and the subsequent search of his residence and automobile violated his Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Mayberry argues the trial court committed reversible *374 error in denying motions to change venue and to discharge the jury panel and in refusing to dismiss jurors challenged for cause. Mayberry also contends the trial court erroneously allowed evidence of gruesome photographs and hearsay testimony and committed reversible error in refusing to instruct on second-degree murder. Finally, Mayberry asserts abuse of discretion in sentencing.

The first issue we consider is Mayberry’s argument that he was arrested without probable cause, thereby violating the Fourth Amendment and tainting all evidence subsequently obtained. Mayberry alleges he was arrested when police officers handcuffed and transported him involuntarily to police headquarters, rather than at 6:00 p.m. when formal arrest occurred.

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that no warrant shall issue, except upon probable cause. Warrantless arrests are constitutionally valid, however, where the arresting officer has probable cause to believe a criminal offense has been committed. Beck v. Ohio, 379 U.S. 89, 96, 13 L. Ed. 2d 142, 85 S. Ct. 223 (1964); Karr v. Smith, 774 F.2d 1029, 1031 (10th Cir. 1985); State v. Peterson, 236 Kan. 821, 826, 696 P.2d 387 (1985). Probable cause exists when the arresting officer has knowledge of facts and circumstances sufficient for a prudent person to believe the suspect is committing or has committed an offense. Peterson, 236 Kan. at 826; State v. Costello, 231 Kan. 337, 338, 644 P.2d 447 (1982). Thus, the time of Mayberry’s arrest is essential in determining whether the police possessed sufficient information to constitute probable cause.

In Dunaway v. New York, 442 U.S. 200, 203, 60 L. Ed. 2d 824, 99 S. Ct. 2248 (1979), a police detective acquired information implicating the petitioner in murder. The information, however, was insufficient to obtain an arrest warrant so the detective ordered the petitioner “picked up” for questioning. The petitioner was taken into custody, driven to police headquarters, and placed in an interrogation room. The petitioner was not told he was under arrest but would have been restrained had he attempted to leave. Subsequent to the administration of Miranda warnings, the petitioner made incriminating statements.

The Dunaway

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
807 P.2d 86, 248 Kan. 369, 1991 Kan. LEXIS 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mayberry-kan-1991.