State v. Morgan

559 N.W.2d 603, 1997 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 4, 1997 WL 24853
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJanuary 22, 1997
Docket95-322
StatusPublished
Cited by71 cases

This text of 559 N.W.2d 603 (State v. Morgan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Morgan, 559 N.W.2d 603, 1997 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 4, 1997 WL 24853 (iowa 1997).

Opinion

CARTER, Justice.

Lary Lane Morgan appeals from convictions for first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree sexual abuse, urging several grounds for reversal. We vacate Morgan’s first-degree sexual abuse conviction and otherwise affirm the district court’s judgment.

Nine-year-old Anna Marie Emry and her brother, Austin, were spending the weekend of August 12-14,1994, with their uncle, Robert Emry, in Brighton, Iowa. Robert was caring for these children while their parents celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. On the evening of August 12, the appellant, Lary Lane Morgan, and his son, Robbie, paid a visit to the Emry home. Morgan was a friend of the Emry family and had previously helped Robert remodel his house. Morgan, who was divorced, was in Brighton to exercise visitation with his son. Robert and Morgan spent the evening drinking beer and conversing while the children watched rented movies and played in Robert’s hot tub. Morgan and his son left the Emry home at approximately 12:15 a.m.

When Robert awakened the next morning Anna Marie was missing. The ensuing search was fruitless. Early portions of the investigation focused on Robert Emry. Morgan was not initially considered a suspect because he had given several consistent accounts of his actions that evening and his son Robbie had provided him with an alibi. Eventually, however, investigators asked Morgan to take a polygraph examination to clear himself, and he agreed to do so.

It was arranged for Morgan to take a polygraph examination in Cedar Falls on August 17 to accommodate his work schedule. While in Cedar Falls on that date for that purpose, he made a detailed confession to the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of Anna Marie. He indicated on a map of Lee County where her body could be found. He later led authorities to a location where Anna Marie’s partially decomposed body was found. He also located the knife used to commit the murder.

Ultimately, Robbie Morgan changed his story and testified against his father. According to Robbie, the following occurred after they left Brighton. After falling asleep in his father’s truck, he awoke with Anna Marie next to him. After that his father stopped the truck three times, with Morgan and Anna Marie getting out each time. The first time, Anna Marie returned to the truck naked and asked to go home. After the second stop, she was crying when she returned to the truck and again asked to go home. When the truck stopped the third time, Morgan told Robbie not to look back. He testified that Anna Marie called for help about twenty times. When Morgan returned, he ordered Robbie not to say anything about Anna Marie and told him that they were leaving Anna Marie “back there.”

The state medical examiner, Dr. Thomas Bennett, testified that Anna Marie had suffered twenty stab wounds, including one that punctured the heart and passed all the way through the left lung. She also suffered injuries consistent with sexual assault. Dr. Bennett concluded that she had attempted to resist her attacker.

At trial, Morgan denied all involvement with Anna Marie’s disappearance and death. On January 12, 1995, a jury returned a verdict of guilty on counts of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree sexual abuse. On January 30, 1995, the district court imposed a life sentence, as required by statute, on all three counts. After Morgan appealed, we remanded this case for the purpose of developing an additional record on an issue involving the jury selection procedures.

Morgan assigns several grounds for reversal. These include: (1) an assertion that his confession was involuntary and was the result of improper questioning after he had sought an opportunity to consult with counsel, (2) that improper jury selection procedures were employed, (3) that a change of *606 venue should have-been granted, and (4) that the first-degree sexual abuse charge merged in the other convictions. We consider each of these -arguments and also consider the claim that Morgan received ineffective assistance from his trial counsel.

I. Whether Morgan’s Confession Was Invalidlg Obtained.

Morgan argues that his confession was obtained in violation of his Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination under the Federal Constitution and article I, section 9 of the Iowa Constitution. Additionally, he argues that the confession was coerced, in violation of due process. For both reasons, he asserts that the trial court erred by failing to grant his motion to suppress his confession and the evidentiary fruits thereof. Because Morgan raises constitutional objections, our scope of review is de novo. State v. Thomas, 540 N.W.2d 658, 661 (Iowa 1995). The State must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that constitutional rights were knowingly waived and that statements of an incul-patory nature were voluntarily given. See State v. Alspach, 524 N.W.2d 665, 667 (Iowa 1994).

We find the following facts after our de novo review of the record. On August 17, 1994, Morgan drove to the Keokuk airport. He was then flown to Waterloo and driven to Cedar Falls for purposes of taking a polygraph examination. Both the trip and the polygraph examination had been consented to by Morgan before leaving Keokuk. Special agent Robert Ward of the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and deputy sheriff Jack Dillon accompanied Morgan. Ward, Dillon, and Morgan arrived in Cedar Falls at approximately 2:30 p.m. The polygraph examination was to take place at the State Patrol Office in Cedar Falls. When Morgan arrived at the State Patrol Office, he was directed to a restaurant where he could obtain something to eat prior to the examination.

About forty-five minutes later, Special Agent Jeff Jacobson with the DCI requested Morgan to come inside the State Patrol Office for purposes of proceeding with the polygraph examination. Morgan went inside that office and entered a room reserved for polygraph examinations. Ward and Dillon observed from another room. Morgan signed a waiver-of-rights form pertaining to both the polygraph examination and any questioning incident thereto. Jacobson then began to ask him pretest questions about his physical and mental health and other aspects of his background. During this time, Morgan took a brief cigarette break. At 4:18 p.m. the pretest questions were completed. At this time, Morgan appeared to be in a highly agitated state.

At 5:35 p.m., when the polygraph examination was about to begin, Morgan left the office for another cigarette break. Jacobson told Ward and Dillon that he was uncertain that he could get an accurate reading because of Morgan’s agitated state. The agents discussed this issue for about ten minutes while Morgan waited outside. Jacobson proceeded outside where Morgan told him he was distrustful of the polygraph examination and mentioned that he was thinking of seeking an attorney’s advice. Jacobson testified at the suppression hearing that he told Morgan that he could use a phone to contact an attorney if he wished. Jacobson then consulted with Ward and Dillon about Morgan’s possible desire to speak with an attorney. Agent Ward attempted to reassure Morgan concerning the polygraph examination.

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Bluebook (online)
559 N.W.2d 603, 1997 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 4, 1997 WL 24853, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-morgan-iowa-1997.