VOLNEY HENRY WELLS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Volney Wells was convicted of first-degree murder of his live-in girlfriend. The appellate court affirmed the conviction, finding that while the trial contained some errors, they were harmless in context, and the evidence of premeditation through prior abuse, threats, and admissions was sufficient.
The court affirmed the conviction, finding: (1) any improper comment on Wells' right to remain silent was harmless error in context; (2) measurement of a footprint length with a ruler is not subject to Frye review; (3) Williams rule evidence of prior beatings and threats was highly probative and not unreasonably prejudicial; and (4) the prior acts, threats, and admissions were sufficient to establish premeditation if believed by the jury.
[1] A pre-arrest, pre-Miranda statement by a suspect regarding the condition of a crime scene is not rendered inadmissible as a comment on the right to remain silent if any e…
[2] Photographs of an object measured by a ruler are not subject to Frye review for scientific reliability.
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Even if this comment concerning Wells' pre-arrest, pre-Miranda failure to explain blood all around the trailer when his roommate is missing is an improper comment on Wells' right to remain silent, in the total context of this case it was harmless.”
Establishes the harmless error standard applied to allegedly improper comment on the right to remain silent
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceWells and the victim had a violent relationship with multiple instances of battering by Wells. Following the victim's disappearance, blood was found t…
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HARRIS, J.
Wells was charged and convicted of the first degree murder of his live-in girlfriend. Even though the trial was not perfect1, we find any errors to have been harmless and affirm.
Wells and the victim had a stormy relationship in which Wells had battered her on numerous occasions and was incarcerated once for his abuse of her. Following the victim’s disappearance, the trailer shared by Wells and the victim was examined by law enforcement and blood was seen all around the trailer except in Wells’ room. When testifying about the examination of the trailer made at a time when Wells was not even a suspect, the officer stated that Wells had no explanation for the condition of the trailer. Wells moved for mistrial claiming that the comment was an improper comment on his right to remain silent and the court denied the mo tion. Even if this comment concerning Wells’ pre-arrest, pre-Miranda failure to explain blood all around the trailer when his roommate is missing is an improper comment on Wells’ right to remain silent, in the total context of this case it was harmless.
Wells denied that the victim had come home the evening of her disappearance but clothing which witnesses identified as clothing she had worn that evening was found in the trailer. Wells testified that when he left the trailer the morning following her disappearance, the bloody condition of the trailer did not exist. But a footprint the size of Wells’ foot was discovered imprinted in the blood. A picture of the footprint along with a ruler indicating the footprint was 10 and % inches long was put into evidence and there was testimony that Wells’ foot measured that same length. Wells urges that it was error to receive in evidence the picture of the footprint because it was not shown to meet the Frye standard. We agree with the State that the length of an object measured by a ruler is not subject to a Frye review.
A witness ' befriended by Wells when they were both previously in jail testified that shortly following the victim’s disappearance Wells asked for his help in disposing of the body and that Wells admitted that he had strangled her “by accident” during an argument. Wells thus contends that in any event premeditation was not shown. But the State put on Williams rule evidence of the many beatings inflicted on the victim by Wells and presented a witness who had been incarcerated with Wells during Wells’ earlier incarceration for beating the victim and who testified that Wells stated that he intended to kill her when he was released. That was approximately ninety days before her disappearance. The prior beatings, the prior threat, and the method which a witness testified was admittedly employed by Wells in killing the victim are sufficient, if believed by the jury, to establish preméditation.
Finally, Wells argues that the court erred in permitting too much Williams rule evidence. He claims that such evidence became the focus of the trial and was more prejudicial than probative. We disagree. The prior bad acts committed by Wells on the victim leading up to her death were highly probative and the extent of that evidence presented by the State, while it was certainly prejudicial, was not unreasonable.
AFFIRMED.
COBB and SHARP, W., JJ., concur. . Thomason v. Gordon, 782 So. 2d 896 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (J. Harris dissenting) or Lackos v. State, 339 So. 2d 217, 219 (Fla.1976).
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Vargas v. State, 101 So. 3d 1269 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012)…eover, the statement at issue was only one sentence during direct examination. This sentence “was prejudicial only to the extent that any other legal evidence which tends to prove guilt is prejudicial.” Lamb, 107 So. at 532; see also Wells v. State, 798 So. 2d 757, 758 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (prior threats and attacks on victim became a “focus of the trial[,] and ... while ... certainly prejudicial, was not unreasonable.”). Based on the foregoing, and because the State was required to prove premeditation, we con…
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Monds v. State, 904 So. 2d 625 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005)…sales to the people in the cars prior to Monds’s arrival during its lengthy closing. Based on the foregoing, the testimony was more probative than prejudicial, did not become a focal point of the trial, and was properly admitted. See Wells v. State, 798 So. 2d 757 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (holding that testimony relating to prior beatings of defendant’s girlfriend by defendant in his trial for her murder was highly probative, did not become feature of trial, and was properly admitted). Finding no error in the adm…
Authorities Cited
- Lacros v. State, 339 So. 2d 217 (Fla. 1976)
- Thomason v. Irmalenna Gordon, 782 So. 2d 896 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)