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State v. Daughtry7/28/1995
or three blocks away from Hopkins' apartment, walking in an agitated state. He noticed a little blood on his hand. He then met some friends and drank with them from 8:30 until about 11:00 p.m. He did not get drunk.
Two psychiatric experts testified for defendant. Dr. Robert Rollins testified that defendant had average intelligence and no major disturbance of mood or thinking. Defendant was distrustful, expected people to mistreat him, and lacked concern about other people. Rollins diagnosed defendant with alcohol abuse and dependence as well as adjustment disorder, which included depression. Dr. Billy Royal diagnosed defendant with depression, alcohol and marijuana abuse, and personality disorder. He considered the disorder to include immaturity, impulsivity, and dependence in the relationship with the victim. Both doctors opined that defendant's ability to form a specific intent to kill and to premeditate and deliberate was impaired on 9 April 1992. Both also noted defendant's history of violence toward the victim.
At sentencing the State relied on its guilt phase evidence and also introduced an eight-by-ten-inch photograph that depicted the stick protruding from the victim's rectum. This photograph had been excluded from the guilt phase.
Defendant's sister testified at sentencing that defendant supported the victim as best he could and always helped his two deaf brothers. She also stated that their father, who was not at home much due to his work, hit defendant and assaulted their mother. Further, defendant used various drugs, including marijuana and cocaine.
Psychiatric testimony offered at sentencing showed that defendant grew up in a dysfunctional family environment that included abuse of his mother and severe punishment of defendant for his transgressions. He became dependent upon alcohol early in his teenage years; this dependence exacerbated the difficulty he experienced in dealing with the end of his relationship with the victim. According to the expert testimony, defendant suffered from depression, substance dependence, and personality disorder at the time of trial.
The jury found defendant guilty of first-degree murder under the theory of premeditation and deliberation and under the felony murder rule; it also convicted defendant of first-degree sexual offense. At sentencing the jury found two aggravating circumstances: "The capital felony was committed while the defendant was engaged in a sex offense"; and "The capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel." The jury found one statutory mitigating circumstance, "The capital felony was committed while the defendant was under the influence of mental or emotional disturbance," and fourteen of the nineteen nonstatutory mitigating circumstances submitted. It unanimously recommended a sentence of death, which the trial court accordingly imposed.
Additional facts will be presented as necessary for analysis of the issues.
PRETRIAL PHASE First, defendant contends the trial court erred by denying his pretrial motion to suppress the statement he made to Lieutenant Cuddington and Agent Dees at the Smithfield Police Department on 10 April 1992 and all evidence obtained as a result thereof. He argues that his statement was obtained illegally and that the physical evidence should have been excluded as the fruit of the poisonous tree. The State's evidence at the pretrial hearing tended to show that Cuddington and Dees began to look for defendant at approximately 1:00 a.m. on 10 April after they learned of defendant's past relationship with the victim. They found defendant at his grandmother's house at 3:00 a.m. While Cuddington asked defendant if he would go to the pol
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