State v. Reddy

948 N.E.2d 454, 192 Ohio App. 3d 108
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 24, 2010
DocketNo. 92924
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 948 N.E.2d 454 (State v. Reddy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio 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. Reddy, 948 N.E.2d 454, 192 Ohio App. 3d 108 (Ohio Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

ON RECONSIDERATION1

Mary Eileen Kilbane, Presiding Judge.

{¶ 1} Appellant, Joseph Reddy (“Reddy”), appeals his conviction for the aggravated murder of his mother, Gloria Reddy (“Gloria”). Counsel for Reddy argues that the state failed to present sufficient evidence to support the finding that he acted with prior calculation and design, that his conviction was against the manifest weight of the evidence, and that his counsel was ineffective. In a pro se brief filed by Reddy, he argues that the trial court erred in admitting photographs depicting suspected blood spatter and alleges prosecutorial misconduct. After a review of the record and pertinent law, we modify Reddy’s conviction from aggravated murder to murder, vacate his sentence, and remand for resentencing.

2} The following facts give rise to the instant appeal.

{¶ 3} Reddy had a troubled relationship with his mother, Gloria. In a statement to police, Reddy stated that when he was 14 years old, he was removed from Gloria’s care after she physically assaulted him. He was placed in a group home, where he lived for four years. When Reddy turned 18 years old, he left the group home and moved in with his girlfriend, Michelle Dahlberg. He lived [114]*114with Dahlberg until January 2007, when he and Dahlberg ended their relationship. Reddy, 21 years old, moved in with his mother, who lived in a multifamily house located at 1432 West 112th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, where his 17-year-old brother, Andrew, also lived.

{¶ 4} Reddy further stated that Gloria suffered from mental illness, as well as drug and alcohol problems, and she became increasingly violent toward Reddy and Andrew. On July 26, 2007, due to the fact that Gloria was in jail and there had been increasing discontent and violence in the home, Andrew moved out and went to live with a neighbor, Donna Amato, who lived a few houses down, at 1422 West 112th Street, in Cleveland, Ohio. According to Amato, she took Andrew into her home after he arrived at her son’s birthday party bruised and bloodied and stated that Reddy had physically assaulted him.

{¶ 5} On December 24, 2007, at approximately 4:00 a.m., according to the statement Reddy gave to police, Gloria came into his bedroom and told him that he had to leave the house. Reddy refused to leave because it was Christmas Eve and he had nowhere to go. He alleged that the argument escalated and Gloria went to her bedroom and returned with a dagger, pushed Reddy’s bedroom door in, and threatened to kill him. Reddy punched Gloria in the face several times, tackled her to the ground, and then choked her until she stopped moving. Reddy maintained that the entire event occurred in his bedroom.

{¶ 6} Reddy wrapped Gloria’s body in a blanket, placed it in a basement storage locker, took Gloria’s ATM card, and left the house. Reddy used the ATM card several times to withdraw cash from an ATM machine at Fred’s Deli, located at 11119 Detroit Avenue, in Cleveland.

{¶ 7} On December 31, 2007, Andrew contacted his uncle, Theodore Reddy (“Theodore”), and informed him that he could not find Gloria. The following day, Theodore met Andrew outside Gloria’s house. The two entered together and walked throughout the house looking for Gloria, but did not find her.

{¶ 8} On January 2, 2008, Theodore met Andrew again at Gloria’s house. After they were still unable to find her, Theodore contacted the Cleveland police. Lieutenant James Plent responded to the call and arrived at Gloria’s house. Plent stated that he noticed bloodstains on the walls, and Andrew informed him that the key to the basement storage area was missing.

{¶ 9} Plent believed that Gloria’s body could have been in the basement storage area. Theodore kicked in the locked door to the basement storage area. Plent entered the storage area and discovered Gloria’s body, at which point he contacted the homicide unit.

{¶ 10} On January 9, 2008, Reddy arrived at the house of Jason Pagan (“Jason”), appearing dirty and distraught. Reddy confessed to Jason’s brother, [115]*115Jonathan Pagan (“Jonathan”), that he had killed his mother during an argument before Christmas. Reddy showed the brothers a dagger he had brought with him and made several references to going to Dahlberg’s residence to give her and her boyfriend a “Christmas present.”

{¶ 11} Fearing that Reddy might harm Dahlberg, Jonathan called police as soon as Reddy left and told them that Dahlberg might be in danger. Cleveland police officers responded to Dahlberg’s residence. When Dahlberg did not answer the door, Cleveland police officer Robert Nagy entered the residence through a window. Several other officers subsequently entered, and Reddy was apprehended in the basement.

{¶ 12} On January 18, 2008, a two-count indictment was issued against Reddy. Count 1 charged Reddy with aggravated murder, in violation of R.C. 2903.01(A), a felony of the first degree. Count 2 charged Reddy with aggravated robbery, in violation of R.C. 2911.01(A)(3), a felony of the first degree.

{¶ 13} On February 3, 2009, Reddy waived his right to a jury trial, and the matter proceeded to a bench trial.

{¶ 14} On February 6, 2009, the trial court granted Reddy’s Crim.R. 29 motion with respect to Count 2, aggravated robbery, and found Reddy guilty of Count 1, aggravated murder.

{¶ 15} On February 15, 2009, the trial court sentenced Reddy to 20 years to life.

{¶ 16} Reddy, through his counsel, raises three assignments of error.

Assignment of Error No. One
The evidence was insufficient to support the conviction for aggravated murder.

{¶ 17} When this court reviews a defendant’s claim that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support the conviction, “ ‘the relevant inquiry is whether, after reviewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt.’ ” State v. Leonard, 104 Ohio St.3d 54, 2004-Ohio-6235, 818 N.E.2d 229, at ¶ 77, quoting State v. Jenks (1991), 61 Ohio St.3d 259, 574 N.E.2d 492, paragraph two of the syllabus.

{¶ 18} When an appellate court addresses the sufficiency of the evidence, it does not assess whether the state’s evidence should be believed, but whether, if believed, it would support the conviction. State v. Dykas, 185 Ohio App.3d 763, 2010-Ohio-359, 925 N.E.2d 685, at ¶ 10, citing Jenks at 263. Specifically, this court must look to whether the state met its burden at trial with [116]*116respect to each of the elements of the charged crime. State v. Thompkins (1997), 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 386-387, 678 N.E.2d 541.

{¶ 19} Reddy was charged with aggravated murder, in violation of R.C. 2903.01, which states, “No person shall purposely, and with prior calculation and design, cause the death of another * * (Emphasis added.) This statute was amended in 1973, because “ ‘[b]y judicial interpretation of the former Ohio law, murder could be premeditated even though the fatal plan was conceived and executed on the spur of the moment.’ ” State v. Hough, 8th Dist. No. 91691, 2010-Ohio-2770, 2010 WL 2432856, ¶ 13, quoting State v. Keenan (1998), 81 Ohio St.3d 133, 157, 689 N.E.2d 929.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
948 N.E.2d 454, 192 Ohio App. 3d 108, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reddy-ohioctapp-2010.