Wilson v. State

948 S.W.2d 21, 1997 Tex. App. LEXIS 2743, 1997 WL 268893
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided May 22, 1997·No. 11-96-367-CR to 11-96-371-CR·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

*23 McCLOUD, Senior Justice.

The jury found appellant, Andre Lee Wilson, guilty of capital murder, 1 aggravated robbery, 2 and three aggravated assaults. 3 The trial court set appellant’s punishment at confinement for life for the capital murder conviction, confinement for 40 years for the aggravated robbery conviction, and confinement for 20 years for each of the aggravated assault convictions. We affirm each conviction.

Appellant was jointly tried with three other codefendants 4 who the record shows participated with appellant in a crime spree during the early morning hours of November 6, 1994. Each of the four defendants signed a written statement describing the various crimes that were committed and the role of individual parties. In each statement, the trial court required the names of the other codefendants to be edited or redacted by replacing the names of the codefendants with the word “guy.” None of the defendants testified at trial. The State introduced into evidence the redacted written statement of each defendant. See Richardson v. Marsh, 481 U.S. 200, 107 S.Ct. 1702, 95 L.Ed.2d 176 (1987). The court instructed the jury that they must not consider the confessions of the other three codefendants in any way as any evidence against appellant.

Appellant urges in his first and second points of error that the evidence is legally or, alternatively, factually insufficient to support the capital murder conviction. Appellant specifically challenges the finding that he “intentionally” caused the victim’s death.

In considering appellant’s legally insufficient challenge, we view all the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict and determine whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); Geesa v. State, 820 S.W.2d 154, 161 (Tex.Cr.App.1991).

In considering appellant’s factually insufficient challenge, we must view all the evidence without the prism of “in the light most favorable to the prosecution” and set aside the verdict if it is so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence as to be clearly wrong and unjust. Clewis v. State, 922 S.W.2d 126 (Tex.Cr.App.1996).

Appellant stated in his redacted confession:

We rode around and saw a black car in a car wash. We saw the headlights on the car. It was an expensive car, so we thought he had some money. A guy drove into the car wash. I had the .410 and he had the SKS. I had a bag of shotgun shells in our car that I had been re-loading from all night. I came up from the back and he came up from the front of the black car. The white guy was washing his car. The guy saw us and sprayed me in my face with the soap he was washing his car with. That is when I shot at him once. Then I jumped behind the wall. I heard the guy shoot his SKS once. We hopped back in the car and took off. 5

Before the murder victim died, he told an investigating officer that he had been shot by two men in the car wash and that the men had a rifle and a shotgun.

James R. Vineyard, a physical evidence investigator, testified that, in the third stall of the car wash, he observed blood, a .410 shotgun wadding, and a 7.62 cartridge casing which was manufactured in China.

Dr. Juan Luis Zamora, a Dallas County Medical Examiner who performed the autopsy on the deceased, described a “shotgun” *24 wound to the victim’s right arm and shoulder and two “gunshot” wounds to the deceased’s right and left thighs. Dr. Zamora testified that, in his opinion, the victim died from the shotgun wound and the gunshot wound to the right thigh. 6

In describing the aggravated robbery which occurred shortly before the murder, appellant stated in the written confession that he shot the shotgun at the robbery victim’s car. Appellant stated that the car stopped and that one of his “homeboys” grabbed the victims and threw them to the ground. While they were on the ground, appellant took the “C.D. Player” from the dash. Appellant stated that his “homeboys” took about $70 from the robbery victims. Appellant also admitted, in his written statement, to shooting the shotgun at another ear and at a Bronco during the shooting, robbing, and assaulting spree.

Jose Luis Guadalajara testified that, during the early morning hours of November 6, 1994, while he and his girlfriend were parked in his truck at White Rock Lake, four young males attacked them and stole his compact disc player and approximately $90 from his billfold. One of the group shot the window of the truck, and Guadalajara was struck in the neck and shoulder. Guadalajara saw a shotgun, and he stated that the four youths were working together. Guadalajara’s girlfriend testified that, when she told the robbers that she did not have a purse, they struck her in the face and talked about killing them.

Robert Michael Pederson testified that appellant shot at Pederson’s windshield with a sawed-off shotgun as Pederson attempted to flee from the youths. Glass exploded, causing injury to Pederson and his date.

Several occupants of a Blazer described how they were chased by four youths in a Chevrolet Cavalier. Appellant was identified as one of the youths. During the chase, one of the occupants of the Cavalier shot at the Blazer, and the dashboard of the Blazer was shattered.

The evidence of the night’s crime spree provided the context in which the murder occurred. Lawton v. State, 913 S.W.2d 542 (Tex.Cr.App.1995). A defendant’s intent can be inferred from his words, acts, and conduct. Dues v. State, 634 S.W.2d 304 (Tex.Cr.App.1982). In determining culpability, the jury is entitled to consider events occurring before, during, and after the commission of an offense. Barron v. State, 566 S.W.2d 929, 931 (Tex.Cr.App.1978). A specific intent to kill may be inferred from the use of a deadly weapon per se. Moreno v. State, 755 S.W.2d 866 (Tex.Cr.App.1988). A sawed-off shotgun is a deadly weapon per se. TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 1.07(a)(17)(A) (Vernon 1994). Police Officer M.A. Casteel testified that sawing off a shotgun makes it smaller and easier to conceal and allows the shot to cover a broader area. The officer stated that sawed-off shotguns are only used to commit robberies and things of that sort.

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Wilson v. State, 948 S.W.2d 21, 1997 Tex. App. LEXIS 2743, 1997 WL 268893 (Tex. Ct. App. 1997).

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