FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
C. ROBERT RITTMAN STEVE CARTER
Grant County Public Defender Attorney General of Indiana
Marion, Indiana
RICHARD C. WEBSTER
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
MICHAEL D. COLLINS, )
)
Appellant-Defendant, )
)
vs. ) No. 27A04-0406-CR-339
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee. )
APPEAL FROM THE GRANT CIRCUIT COURT
The Honorable Thomas R. Hunt, Judge
Cause No. 27C01-0304-MR-31
May 4, 2005
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
SULLIVAN, Judge
Michael D. Collins was convicted by a jury of Murder, a felony;
See footnote Criminal
Confinement, a Class B felony;See footnote Abuse of a Corpse, a Class D felony;See footnote
Arson, a Class D felony;See footnote and Pointing a Firearm, a Class D felony.See footnote
After the presentation of additional evidence in both bifurcated and trifurcated proceedings,
Collins was found guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent
Felon, a Class B felony,See footnote and was found to be a Habitual Offender.See footnote
He presents several issues for our review, three of which we address
in detail:
I. Whether the trial court erred in denying Collinss request for change of venue;
II. Whether a statement made by a witness who refused to testify should have
been admitted; and
III. Whether certain photographic evidence should have been excluded.See footnote
We reverse Collinss conviction for murder and remand for further proceedings.See footnote
On April 17, 2003, Collins and Jerry Downs were at Downss home drinking
beer and Crown Royal. At some point, Collins attempted to locate his
girlfriend Tabitha (Tabby) at her residence. She was not there, but Michelle
Jaynes and her boyfriend Kenneth Kendall, both of whom lived in the same
building as Tabby, were there. Collins left without incident and returned that
evening with Jerry Downs at approximately 9:00 p.m. Collins, Downs, Kendall, and
Michelle drove around in Downss truck in an effort to find Tabby but
could not locate her. They returned to Michelles residence, and Michelle and
her boyfriend sat down to drink beer while Collins and Downs left.
Collins or Downs later called Michelle and asked her and Kendall to come
to Downss home to party, which they did. While there, they continued
to drink.
After Michelle and Kendall left, Collins and Downs followed them to Michelles home
and confronted them. Downs pointed a gun at Kendall while Collins searched
for Tabby in Tabbys apartment. Collins then returned to Michelles apartment and
asked Rosetta Calhoun, who was babysitting Michelles children, where Tabby was. Rosetta
responded that she did not know. Rosetta left and the other four
individuals went outside. Collins wanted Michelle to drive him around to look for
Tabby, but Kendall took the keys because he did not want Michelle to
drive. Collins then placed a gun to Kendalls head and accused him
of knowing where Tabby was. At that time, one of Michelles children
came out on the porch, screamed at Collins to leave Kendall alone, and
yelled for her mother. Collins told her to go back inside, which
she did. Michelle then told Collins to leave Kendall alone, and she
would take him to find Tabby. She then got into the drivers
seat of a car with Collins in the front seat and Downs in
the backseat.
Shortly thereafter, Michelle called Kendall and told him she loved him and asked
him to look after her children. She and Collins then began to
fight about the radio. Eventually, she was shot in the head by
Collins and died of her injuries. Collins then took Downs to his
home and got some gasoline from him. Collins drove the car to
a remote area and set it on fire with Michelles body inside.
He then walked to a nearby train track where he was able to
get on a train and ride it toward Marion.
In the meantime, Downs had called the police and reported the shooting.
Officers responded and learned the identity and description of Collins. Collins was
apprehended while walking from the rail yard where he exited the train.
He had a large amount of blood on his clothing and skin. The
blood was tested and determined to be Michelles. Collins gave a statement
in which he admitted shooting Michelle but stated that it was an accident.
Collins was ultimately charged with the counts for which he was convicted.
I
Change of Venue
Collins asserts that the trial court erred in denying his request for a
change of venue. The right to an impartial jury is at the
heart of the decision on a change of venue motion. Ward v.
State, 810 N.E.2d 1042, 1048 (Ind. 2004), reh. denied, cert. pending. This
right originates with the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as applied
to the States by the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as Article 1, §
13 of the Indiana Constitution. Id. The criminally accused is guaranteed
a fair trial by a panel of impartial, indifferent jurors. Id. at
1049.
A trial courts denial of a motion for change of venue is reviewed
for an abuse of discretion. Id. An abuse of discretion does
not occur where voir dire reveals that the seated panel was able to
set aside preconceived notions of guilt and render a verdict based solely upon
evidence of guilt. Id. To show an abuse of discretion, the
defendant must demonstrate the existence of two distinct elements: (1) prejudicial pretrial publicity
and (2) the inability of jurors to render an impartial verdict. Id.
Jurors need not be totally ignorant of the facts involved in order for
a defendant to receive a fair trial. Id. Thus, a jurors
mere exposure to press coverage is not enough to support a claim that
local prejudice entitles a defendant to a change of venue. Id.
Even if jurors have been exposed to pretrial publicity, that alone is insufficient
to establish prejudice unless the jurors were unable to set aside any preconceived
notions of guilt and render a verdict based upon the evidence. Id.
In establishing the facts in Ward, our Supreme Court noted the many newspaper
articles which recounted the crime, as well as the shock and outrage of
the community. The Court then quoted many excerpts from the transcript which
revealed the pervasiveness of preconceived notions of guilt, including comments such as [H]e
was caught at the siteI feel hes guilty. Id. at 1047.
Other responses from potential jurors included that Ward should have been hang[ed] .
. . instantly and he should have been shot on the spot at
the scene of the crime and that prior opinions would make it difficult
to be fair. Id. at 1046. The Court then held that
the record established that the defendant had met the burden of proving that
the jurors were unable to render an impartial verdict. Id. at 1050.
The Court also noted the disturbing fact that one of the jurors
admitted that she did not know if she was willing to base a
decision solely on the evidence presented at trial. Id. Consequently, the
Supreme Court remanded the cause for a new trial either with venue in
a different county or with jurors from another county. Id.
In Specht v. State, 734 N.E.2d 239 (Ind. 2000), the facts revealed a
much different picture of the impartiality of the jury. In that case,
the potential jurors were questioned extensively about whether they could disregard pretrial publicity.
The trial court excused all jurors who were unsure about their impartiality.
The Specht Court held that the defendant had not demonstrated that the
jurors impaneled were unable to be impartial due to the pretrial media coverage.
Id. at 241. Thus, the trial court did not abuse its
discretion in denying the motion for change of venue. Id.
In Elsten v. State, 698 N.E.2d 292 (Ind. 1998), the potential jurors were
asked about their exposure to pretrial publicity and whether they could serve fairly
and impartially. Five potential jurors were dismissed for indicating they could not.
However, all of the impaneled jurors answered that they could function impartially
to render a verdict based solely upon the evidence at trial. Because
the defendant was unable to show any other evidence of prejudice arising from
publicity, the Court concluded that his right to a fair trial was not
denied. Id. at 294.
In the case before us, the potential jurors were questioned with regard to
their impartiality. Our review of the transcript has not revealed any instances
in which a juror who was unable to set aside preconceived notions of
guilt was not excused from the jury. Likewise, Collins has not made
such a showing. Rather, Collins asserts that the trial court prevented him
from overcoming the presumption that a jurors voir dire is truthful by showing
a general atmosphere of prejudice throughout the community. See Brown v. State,
563 N.E.2d 103, 105 (Ind. 1990). Specifically, Collins asserts that the trial
court should have allowed him to survey the jury through a blind questionnaire
to determine if the jurors had preconceived notions which they would not likely
espouse during voir dire.
Criminal defendants have no absolute right to separately question a prospective juror outside
the presence of other jurors. Id. As has been noted, Individualized
voir dire of prospective jurors may be required where the circumstances are highly
unusual or potentially damaging to the defendant. Id. at 106. Collins
asserts that this trial occurred in circumstances which were highly unusual or potentially
damaging. However, he has failed to present any evidence which leads us
to conclude that individual voir dire was required. The jurors chosen had
either formed no opinions about the case before hearing the evidence or stated
that they could put any opinions aside. Consequently, the trial court did
not err in denying the request for a survey of the jury pool
and in refusing to change the venue of the trial.
II
Admission of Statement
Collins challenges the trial courts decision to allow a portion of a statement
made by Downs to be included within the taped statement of Collins which
was played for the jury.
See footnote He asserts this was erroneous because Downs
did not testify and thus was not available for cross-examination. As it
did at trial, the State asserts that the statement was admissible under Indiana
Evidence Rule 801(d)(2)(B) as a statement by a party-opponent because Collins manifested an
adoption or belief in its truth.See footnote
The decision to admit or exclude evidence is a matter within the sound
discretion of the trial court.
Swann v. State, 789 N.E.2d 1020, 1023
(Ind. Ct. App. 2003), trans. denied. When the trial courts decision is
clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances before it,
an abuse of discretion has occurred. Id. We afford the decision
to exclude evidence great deference upon appeal and reverse only when a manifest
abuse of discretion denies the defendant a fair trial. Id. at 1023-24.
Indiana Evidence Rule 801(d)(2) states that a statement is not hearsay if
it is offered against a party and is . . . (B) a
statement of which the party has manifested an adoption or belief in its
truth. The parties have not directed us to any Indiana case which
has interpreted 801(d)(2)(B), nor has our research revealed the existence of such a
case. However, Indianas rule is identical to Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(B).
Accordingly, we may rely upon federal court cases for guidance.
Our research has resulted in locating one case with facts nearly identical to
those here. In U.S. v. Lilley, 581 F.2d 182 (8th Cir. 1978),
the Court of Appeals was called upon to review the admission of a
statement under 801(d)(2)(B). In that case, Lilley was convicted of several offenses
related to the forgery of a check.
See footnote On August 24, 1977, Lilley
was interviewed by Douglas Buchholz, a Special Agent of the United States Secret
Service. She denied knowing anything about the check which had been forged
and cashed but indicated that her husband, George Lilley, may have been involved.See footnote
On September 1, 1977, George was interviewed and informed Agent Buchholz that
Lilley had given him the check and asked him to sign it, that
she took his hand and helped him write the signature, and that she
cashed the check.
Agent Buchholz subsequently arranged a second interview with Lilley and relayed the statement
of her husband. Lilley then made a written statement because she wanted
to tell Agent Buchholz the way she remembered the events happening.
Id.
at 185. In that statement, she indicated that she had prior knowledge
of the check but that she had not possessed it. Further, she
indicated that while she and George were out drinking, he had been unable
to cash a check so they went to several shops. George eventually
decided to purchase a guitar and signed a check at the music shop.
She claimed that she never received any money from the check.
Based upon these facts, the Court concluded that the testimony of Agent Buchholz
concerning statements made by George and repeated by Agent Buchholz to Lilley should
not have been admitted. Id. at 186. The Court concluded that
despite Lilleys failure to expressly deny each and every portion of her husbands
statement, she did state that she wanted to tell Agent Buchholz the way
she recalled the incident. Id. at 187. Her written statement, given
in response to Georges statement, contradicted Georges statement in nearly every material respect.
Id. Specifically, the statement implied that George took the check from
Yaholas home and signed the check himself, contradicting Georges claim that Lilley took
the check and brought it to him and that she helped him sign
it. Id. Because Lilleys statement was at odds with the statement
of George, she did not adopt his statement as true. Id.
In the case before us, while being interviewed by Sergeant Kevin Pauley of
the Grant County Sheriffs Department, Collins denied having any knowledge of Michelles death
even though Sergeant Pauley informed him that Downs had indicated that Collins shot
Michelle. Sergeant Pauley then offered to play Downss statement for Collins, to
which Collins agreed. In that recorded statement Downs said:
And, and her girlfriend called me and says, shes tryin to talk to
me and says, where are you at, where are you at, and I
said (inaudible). He pointed the gun at me, he says shut-up motherf****r,
give me the phone, so I gave him the f****n phone. And
she turned the radio up, and he said f**k the radio and he
turned it down, and he says you think Im f****n with you, Im
not f****n with ya, and f****n, like he reached over and f****n put
this cannon to her, and he shot her man, he f****n killed her,
he shot her f****n there in front of me . . . .
App. at 367-68.
See footnote
After hearing the statement, Collins immediately changed his story and said that the
shooting did not happen as Downs described it. Collins then claimed that
the shooting was an accident. He admitted that he was arguing with
Michelle about the radio and was holding the gun. He further stated
that he cocked the gun, had it pointed at Michelle, and that it
went off. He stated repeatedly that he did not mean to shoot
her.
The State argues that by changing his story and admitting to shooting Michelle,
Collins manifested an adoption of Downss statement. However, the implication from Downss
statement is that Collins meant to kill Michelle. At the very least,
there is no inference to be made from Downss statement that the shooting
was accidental. While Collins adopted the fact that he had shot Michelle,
he did not manifest an adoption of the statement to the extent that
it would be a confession to an intentional or knowing killing of Michelle.
The critical aspects of the snippet from Downss statement were the graphic, explicit,
and thunderous tone of the statement. We cannot conclude that the States
inclusion of the snippet into Collinss statement was merely to demonstrate that Downs
was saying that Collins had the firearm and that it discharged, killing Michelle.
The tenor of the Downs statement was to demonstrate the malevolent, purposeful
discharge of the gun into Michelles head.
To this extent, it is clear that Collins did not adopt (manifestly or
otherwise) Downss characterization of what occurred. At best, Collins agreed that he
had the gun, it discharged, and that Michelle was killed. That the
occurrence was brutally malicious, as opposed to accidental, was not admitted by Collins.
Rather, Collins attempted to refute Downss statement and, just as in
Lilley,
disagreed with the material element of the statement offered against him. Consequently,
the trial court erred in concluding that the statement made by Downs was
admissible under Evidence Rule 801(d)(2)(B).
However, in some instances the erroneous admission of evidence is harmless. Errors
in the admission of evidence will not result in reversal if the probable
impact of the evidence upon the jury is sufficiently minor so as to
not affect a partys substantial rights. King v. State, 799 N.E.2d 42,
49 (Ind. Ct. App. 2003), trans. denied, cert. denied 125 S.Ct. 54 (2004).
Also, an error in the admission of evidence is harmless if the
erroneously admitted evidence is cumulative of other evidence appropriately admitted. Iqbal v.
State, 805 N.E.2d 401, 406 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004).
After reviewing the entire transcript, we must conclude that the statement made by
Downs is the most condemning evidence of Collinss intent. The State argues
that other testimony revealed that the shooting was not accidental and points to
the testimony of Kathy Baker, a dispatcher. In her testimony, she quoted
Downs as saying, Man he killed her. Tr. at 435. The
State asserts that this reveals that the killing was knowing or intentional.
That belies the fact that only a minute later, Baker stated that Downs
had told her that they were driving somewhere in Marion when the gun
went off. Tr. at 436. This is more indicative of an
accidental shooting than a knowing or intentional shooting which Downss taped statement implies.
Consequently, Bakers testimony does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that Collins
had the requisite intent when he shot Michelle.
The State also points to the testimony of Deputy Sheriff Michael Andry.
Deputy Andry testified that Downs repeated several times that Mike shot her.
I cant believe he shot her. Tr. at 556-57. The State
asserts that the tape recorded statement made by Downs was cumulative of this
evidence. We disagree. Once again, the statements attributed to Downs through
Deputy Andrys testimony do not necessarily reveal the same level of intent as
the recorded statement. Because the erroneously admitted statement was not cumulative of
other evidence and the probable impact of the evidence upon the jury was
not sufficiently minor, we conclude that the admission of the statement was not
harmless. Our holding, in this regard, dictates reversal of the murder conviction.
However, that result does not, upon double jeopardy principles, preclude retrial upon
the murder charge if there is sufficient evidence to support a conviction.
Edwards v. State, 773 N.E.2d 360 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002), trans. denied.
Here, Collins admitted shooting Michelle. Without regard to the statement made by
Downs, a reasonable jury might from the evidence of record conclude that the
shooting was knowing or intentional and not accidental. Therefore double jeopardy does
not bar retrial.
III
Admission of Photographic Evidence
Collins also challenges the trial courts decision admitting several photographs of Michelles burnt
corpse, as well as pictures of the car in which she was burned.
He claims that the photographs were unduly prejudicial and cumulative. Furthermore,
he argues that he conceded that he had burned the car with Michelles
corpse inside.
See footnote Because this issue may arise again upon retrial, we will
address it.
The admission and exclusion of evidence falls within the sound discretion of the
trial court.
Wilson v. State, 765 N.E.2d 1265, 1272 (Ind. 2002).
Thus, we review the admission of photographic evidence solely for an abuse of
discretion. Id. Relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value
is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Ind. Evidence Rule
403. Gory and revolting photos, so long as they are relevant to
some material issue or show scenes that a witness could describe orally, may
be admissible. Wilson, 765 N.E.2d at 1272. This is so when
they act as interpretive aids for the jury and have strong probative value.
Id.
Many cases have addressed the admissibility of photographs of bodies which show severe
burning or decay such as is present in the photographs admitted into evidence
here. In Guffey v. State, 555 N.E.2d 152 (Ind. 1990), the appellant
challenged the admission of six photographs showing a burned-out car at different angles
as being cumulative, irrelevant, gruesome, and calculated to inflame and prejudice the jury.
Some of the photographs contained visible portions of the decedents body, including
one photograph showing a leg hanging out of the window. In concluding
that the trial court did not err in admitting the photographs, the Supreme
Court noted that the body was burned so badly that the leg protruding
from the car was barely recognizable as a human leg. Id. at
154.
In Light v. State, 547 N.E.2d 1073 (Ind. 1989), our Supreme Court noted
that the photographs depicting the victims body were repulsive, as the State readily
admitted, showing a nude and charred body, badly decomposed. However, the Court
held that they were admissible, stating, Mindful that revolting crimes generate revolting evidence,
we conclude that admission of just three photographs depicting the reality of the
offense was not error. Id. at 1081.
Here, Collins challenges the admission of several photographs depicting the burned-out car at
different angles. Of these pictures, one shows the charred remains of the
body on the floorboard. The remaining photographs which he challenges are various
pictures of bones found lying loose in the car, as well as several
photographs taken during an autopsy. Those photographs are gruesome and repulsive; however,
they do depict the injuries which Michelle suffered, including the gunshot wound to
the head which was the cause of death. Furthermore, they are highly
probative of the evidence needed to prove the crimes with which Collins was
charged. While Collins and the State may have stipulated that the car
was burned and that Michelle was inside, the charge for Abuse of a
Corpse required that the State prove that the corpse was mutilated, a finding
which could not be readily made without the jury reviewing the gruesome photographs
of the body. See I.C. § 35-45-11-2. Additionally, the photographs of
the burned-out car cannot be declared to be highly prejudicial. Other than the
one photograph depicting the body, they reveal basic photographs of the burnt remains
of the car. The trial court did not err in admitting the
photographs into evidence.
The conviction for murder is reversed, and the cause is remanded for further
proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
MATHIAS, J., concurs
BAILEY, J., dissents with separate opinion
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
MICHAEL D. COLLINS, )
)
Appellant-Defendant, )
)
vs. ) No. 27A04-0406-CR-339
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee-Plaintiff. )
BAILEY, Judge, dissenting
I agree with the majority that Collins did not adopt Downs statement and
its admission was erroneous. However, I dissent from the reversal of Collins
murder conviction, because the evidentiary error is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
A denial of a defendants right of confrontation is harmless error where the
evidence supporting the conviction is so convincing that a jury could not have
found otherwise. Garner v. State, 777 N.E.2d 721, 725 (Ind. 2002).
I do not dispute the majoritys characterization of Downs statement as graphic, explicit
and thunderous in tone. Slip op. at 11. However, there is
ample evidence admitted without objection to show that Collins was angry, menacing, and
using explicit profanity. Babysitter Rosetta Calhoun, who observed Collins immediately before he
took Michelle from her home, described Collins as having sheer hatred in his
eyes. (Tr. 396.) Michelles daughter K.J., who was awakened during the
altercation in which Downs and Collins threatened Michelle and her boyfriend with guns,
testified that Collins was using profanity. K.J. reported to Detective Nathan Herring
that both men were yelling and screaming and forced Michelle into the car
by brandishing guns and punching Michelle in the face. (Tr. 968.)
Michelles boyfriend, Kenny Kendall, received a telephone call shortly after Michelle left their
residence, in which Michelle told him that she loved him and asked him
to take care of her children. His testimony would support the inference
that Michelle perceived her life as being threatened at that time.
Moreover, Collins exerted extensive efforts to plan and cover up what he claimed
was an accident. Kendall testified that he and Michelle were invited to
Downs home. Once there, Kendall was given marijuana and so much alcohol
that he suspected Collins and Downs were deliberately trying to get him intoxicated
by pushing alcohol at him. (Tr. 475.) When the four returned
to Michelles home, Downs suddenly pointed a gun at Kendall and grabbed Michelle,
but Kendall was admittedly intoxicated by that time and unable to defend Michelle.
After the shooting, Collins set fire to the victim and her vehicle,
disposed of Downs cellular phone by submerging it in water, threw the gun
into a wooded area and disposed of the bullets individually. He then
fled on a freight train. When apprehended, Collins claimed that his name
was Jerry Downs and that he had blood on his clothes because he
had been involved in a motorcycle accident. (Tr. 580, 588.) The
jury may consider flight and related conduct in determining a defendants guilt (although
an instruction emphasizing flight is improper). Dill v. State, 741 N.E.2d 1230,
1232 (Ind. 2001).
A reasonable jury could not have acquitted Collins, but would have found him
guilty of murder without Downs statement. As such, reversal is not required.
Therefore, I dissent.
Footnote:
Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004).
Footnote: Ind. Code § 35-42-3-3 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004).
Footnote: Ind. Code § 35-45-11-2 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004).
Footnote: Ind. Code § 35-43-1-1 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004).
Footnote: Ind. Code § 35-47-4-3 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004).
Footnote: Ind. Code § 35-47-4-5 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004).
Footnote: Ind. Code § 35-50-2-8 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004).
Footnote: Collins also claims that the sentence he received for his convictions, 144
years incarceration, is tantamount to life without parole because he is forty-six years
old. He argues that because the prosecutor did not file for life
without parole pursuant to statute, the trial court may not sentence him to
a term of years which is effectively that. Collins is mistaken in
his belief that a sentence for a term of years and life without
parole may effectively be the same. Life without parole is a specific
sentence which is authorized by both Indiana Code § 35-50-2-8.5 (Burns Code Ed.
Repl. 2004) and Indiana Code § 35-50-2-9 (Burns Code Ed. Repl. 2004) in
specific instances and applies to sentencing an individual upon one count. In
the present case, Collins received his sentence for the combination of several convictions.
Furthermore, other than claiming his sentence is tantamount to life without parole,
he has failed to explain why he should receive a lesser sentence.
Consequently, this claim is without merit. We also note that because we
have reversed his conviction for murder, the sentence is no longer one for
144 years, although he could receive that same sentence if he is convicted
in a new trial.
Footnote: Collins was found to be a habitual offender, and the sentence enhancement
for it was tacked onto the sentence for murder. The reversal of
the conviction for murder does not affect the validity of the habitual offender
finding but does affect the sentence. The trial court is granted leave
to apply the habitual offender enhancement to one of the remaining felony convictions.
Footnote: During the taped interview with Collins, the interrogating officer played
for Collins a portion of an earlier taped statement made by Downs.
Footnote: Our review of this issue is limited solely to a discussion of
Evidence Rule 801 because the parties did not develop argument with respect to
any other grounds for its admissibility.
Footnote: The check was a tax refund check for a Clayton Meeks which
had been sent to the home of a Pamela Yahola. From the
evidence at trial, it appears that Lilley and Meeks had a child together.
Footnote: The Court in
Lilley acknowledged that Lilley referred to George as her
ex-husband but that the evidence was undisputed that they were married at the
time of the interview and trial. 581 F.2d at 185 n.1.
Footnote:
This quotation was taken from the transcript of Collinss recorded statement because
the videotape was not submitted to this court for the appeal. The
parties do not dispute the accuracy of the transcript.
Footnote: The State and Collins stipulated for trial that the victim found in
the charred vehicle was Michelle Jaynes and that cause of the vehicle fire
was arson. Appendix at 217.