State v. Mukes , 2020 Ohio 127 ( 2020 )

[Cite as State v. Mukes, 2020-Ohio-127.]
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
STATE OF OHIO :
:
Plaintiff-Appellee : Appellate Case No. 28350
:
v. : Trial Court Case No. 2017-CR-1538
:
JOHN T. MUKES : (Criminal Appeal from
: Common Pleas Court)
Defendant-Appellant :
:
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OPINION
Rendered on the 17th day of January, 2020.
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MATHIAS H. HECK, JR., by SARAH E. HUTNIK, Atty. Reg. No. 0095900, Assistant
Prosecuting Attorney, Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, Appellate Division,
Montgomery County Courts Building, 301 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45422
Attorney for Plaintiff-Appellee
TRAVIS KANE, Atty. Reg. No. 0088191, 130 West Second Street, Suite 460, Dayton,
Ohio 45402
Attorney for Defendant-Appellant
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WELBAUM, J.
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{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, John T. Mukes, appeals from his conviction in the
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas after a jury found him guilty of felony murder
and felonious assault; the offenses merged and he was convicted of murder. In support
of his appeal, Mukes contends that his conviction was not supported by sufficient
evidence and was against the manifest weight of the evidence. For the reasons outlined
below, Mukes’ judgment of conviction will be affirmed.
Facts and Course of Proceedings
{¶ 2} On July 14, 2017, the Montgomery County Grand Jury returned an indictment
charging Mukes with one count of felony murder in violation of R.C. 2903.02(B) and one
count of felonious assault in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(1). The charges stemmed from
the murder of Mukes’ 78-year-old mother, Mary Hinesmon. It was alleged that Mukes
beat and strangled Hinesmon to death in her bedroom at a home on Hoover Avenue in
Dayton, Ohio.
{¶ 3} Mukes pled not guilty to the charges and the matter proceeded to a jury trial.
At trial, it was established that Mukes called 9-1-1 on the morning of July 3, 2016, and
reported that Hinesmon was “beat to death.” The State presented an audio recording of
Mukes’ 9-1-1 call and it was admitted into evidence as State’s Exhibit No. 43. On the
recording, Mukes can be heard advising the emergency responder that he lived with
Hinesmon and that she had been attacked the previous night while he was out “jogging
down the street.” Mukes told the responder that he had left the door to their residence
open and that someone had come into the residence while he was gone.
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{¶ 4} When the police arrived at the scene, Hinesmon was found dead on her
bedroom floor. Detective Rod Roberts testified that Hinesmon’s body was found
wrapped in a bedsheet, part of which was torn and wrapped around Hinesmon’s neck.
Photographs of Hinesmon’s body were taken at the scene and admitted into evidence as
State’s Exhibit Nos. 67-72. The photographs confirmed Roberts’ testimony and also
showed that part of the bedsheet was covering Hinesmon’s mouth.
{¶ 5} Hinesmon’s niece who lived across the street, Inez Harbour, testified that she
went to Hinesmon’s residence on the morning in question prior to the police arriving.
Harbour testified that she went to the residence because Mukes’ girlfriend, Tara Haines,
knocked on her door and told her about Hinesmon’s unresponsive condition. Harbour
testified that when she arrived at the residence, Mukes was standing in the living room
emotionless with blood on his t-shirt. Harbour, a registered nurse, testified that when
she went to check on Hinesmon, she found Hinesmon lying on her bedroom floor wrapped
in her bedding. Harbour testified that she checked Hinesmon’s pulse and found none.
Harbour testified that she did not attempt to perform any life saving measures because
Hinesmon “was gone.” Trial Trans. p. 335.
{¶ 6} Harbour further testified that she had previously visited Hinesmon’s
residence “hundreds” of times and noted that nothing was out of place in the residence
on the morning in question. Id. at 331, 339-340. Harbour also noted that there was no
sign of any damage to the residence. Multiple responding officers, including Detective
Roberts, Sergeant Robert Clinger, Officer Joshua Campbell, and evidence technician
Mark Hamilton similarly testified that they observed no signs of forced entry into the
residence. Clinger, Campbell, and Hamilton further testified that they observed blood on
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Mukes’ t-shirt.
{¶ 7} After the police arrived at the scene, Harbour testified that Mukes said to
himself “I wouldn’t hurt my mama. I didn’t do nothing to my mama.” Id. at 335.
Sergeant Clinger also testified that when he asked Mukes what was going on, Mukes said
“she wouldn’t let me leave last night.” Id. at 377. Clinger documented Mukes’ statement
in his police report and also reported it to Detective Roberts. Roberts testified that when
he later interviewed Mukes’ girlfriend, Haines, she confirmed that Mukes’ had made that
statement to Clinger.
{¶ 8} Detective Roberts also testified that he observed a fresh scratch on the right
side of Mukes’ neck while Mukes was sitting in the backseat of Sergeant Clinger’s police
cruiser. Clinger testified that a short time after placing Mukes in his police cruiser, Mukes
began to hit his forehead against the partition that separates the front and rear cabins of
the cruiser. The State presented video footage from Clinger’s cruiser camera that
showed Mukes sitting calmly in the back of the cruiser for approximately 20 minutes
before starting to bang his head on the partition. The video footage showed that Mukes
was only hitting the top of his forehead with slight force and was not causing injury to
himself or any other part of his body. The video also showed Clinger placing his hand
between Mukes’ head and the partition to prevent any injury to Mukes’ person. See
State’s Exhibit No. 116.
{¶ 9} Officer Campbell testified that Mukes was eventually transferred to his police
cruiser, in which he was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation. Campbell
testified that he sat in the back of the police cruiser with Mukes to ensure that Mukes did
not harm himself. Campbell testified that Mukes was calm during his transport to the
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hospital and suffered no injuries while in his presence.
{¶ 10} After arriving at the hospital, Officer Campbell testified that evidence
technician Hamilton arrived to take pictures of Mukes and to collect Mukes’ clothing.
Hamilton testified that he photographed the scratch on the right side of Mukes’ neck that
was observed by Detective Roberts. Hamilton also photographed blood on Mukes’ right
ear, a scratch on the bridge of his nose, and a small scratch on one of his ring fingers.
Detective Roberts testified that he observed the scratch on Mukes’ nose at the hospital
and noted that it also appeared to be a fresh wound. Roberts testified that a decision
was then made to arrest Mukes for Hinesmon’s murder.
{¶ 11} Officer Campbell testified that Mukes became aggressive when he advised
Mukes that he was being placed under arrest. Campbell testified that Mukes would not
comply with his order to turn around so that Mukes could be handcuffed. According to
Campbell, Mukes pushed him and squared off in a fighting position when Campbell
attempted to physically turn Mukes around. Campbell testified that when Mukes refused
to turn around a second time, he tased Mukes so that he could get him to the ground and
handcuff him. Campbell testified that he was eventually able to handcuff Mukes with the
assistance of a sheriff’s deputy. Once handcuffed, Campbell transported Mukes to jail.
{¶ 12} Dr. Kent Harshbarger, the coroner who autopsied Hinesmon’s body,
testified that Hinesmon had several abrasions, scratches, and contusions on her face,
neck, and chest. Harshbarger also testified that Hinesmon had conjunctival petechiae
(burst capillaries) in her eyes and injuries to her fingers. The injuries to Hinesmon’s
fingers included avulsions (missing tissue), lacerations, ripped-off fingernails, and a
crushed ring finger. Photographs of these injuries were taken at the autopsy and
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admitted into evidence as State’s Exhibit Nos. 1-31. Harshbarger testified that
Hinesmon’s injuries were indicative of her being struck multiple times and strangled.
Harshbarger testified to a reasonable degree of medical certainty that Hinesmon’s cause
of death was due to strangulation.
{¶ 13} Mary Barger, a forensic DNA analyst from the Miami Valley Regional Crime
Lab, testified that she performed DNA testing on various items of evidence in this case.
Barger testified that she tested the bloodstains on Mukes’ t-shirt and found only Mukes’
and Hinesmon’s DNA on the stains. Barger also noted that a majority of the DNA from
the bloodstains belonged to Hinesmon. Barger additionally testified to testing swabs
taken from Mukes’ fingernails. Barger testified that she only detected Mukes’ and
Hinesmon’s DNA on the fingernail swabs, a majority of which belonged to Hinesmon.
Barger also tested a spot of blood on Mukes’ left shoe and found only Hinesmon’s DNA
present.
{¶ 14} Barger further testified that Mukes’ DNA was detected underneath one of
Hinesmon’s right fingernails and that the bedding used to strangle Hinesmon contained
a mixture of only Mukes’ and Hinesmon’s DNA. In addition, Barger testified that Mukes
could not be excluded as a contributor to the DNA that was found on Hinesmon’s neck.
{¶ 15} After presenting the foregoing testimony and evidence, the State rested its
case. Mukes then moved for an acquittal under Crim.R. 29, which the trial court
overruled. Thereafter, Mukes testified in his defense.
{¶ 16} While testifying, Mukes claimed that during the early morning hours of July
3, 2016, he left his house and walked down the street to a friend’s house to drink and play
cards. Mukes claimed that his mother was home when he left and that he forgot to lock
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the door before leaving. Mukes testified that he returned home around 6:00 a.m. and
laid down to rest until 8:30 a.m. Mukes testified that he then went into his mother’s
bedroom to check on her because he did not hear her getting ready for church.
{¶ 17} Continuing, Mukes testified that when he went into his mother’s bedroom
he found his mother lying on the floor with “all the blood and stuff.” Trial Trans. p. 612.
Mukes testified that he tried grabbing and shaking his mother to revive her. Mukes also
claimed that he attempted to perform CPR on his mother by lifting her up with his hands,
holding her by the neck, and blowing in her mouth. Mukes testified that when she did
not revive, he called 9-1-1 and his girlfriend, Haines, for help.
{¶ 18} During his cross-examination, Mukes admitted that he had told the 9-1-1
responder that he had been out for a jog when his mother was attacked. Mukes also
admitted to having mobility issues and to occasionally walking with a cane. Mukes
further admitted to saying “I didn’t hurt my mama” when the police arrived at the scene.
Mukes, however, denied telling Sergeant Clinger that “she wouldn’t let me leave last
night.”
{¶ 19} At the close of the evidence, the jury deliberated and found Mukes guilty of
both felony murder and felonious assault. During sentencing, the trial court merged the
offenses and ordered Mukes to serve 15 years to life in prison for murder. Mukes now
appeals from his conviction, raising a single assignment of error for review.
Assignment of Error
{¶ 20} Under his sole assignment of error, Mukes contends that his conviction for
felony murder was not supported by sufficient evidence and was against the manifest
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weight of the evidence. We disagree.
Standard of Review
{¶ 21} “A sufficiency of the evidence argument disputes whether the State has
presented adequate evidence on each element of the offense to allow the case to go to
the jury or sustain the verdict as a matter of law.” State v. Wilson, 2d Dist. Montgomery
No. 22581, 2009-Ohio-525, ¶ 10, citing State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 678
N.E.2d 541 (1997). “When reviewing a claim as to sufficiency of evidence, the relevant
inquiry is whether any rational factfinder viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to
the state could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a
reasonable doubt.” (Citations omitted.) State v. Dennis, 79 Ohio St.3d 421, 430, 683
N.E.2d 1096 (1997). “The verdict will not be disturbed unless the appellate court finds
that reasonable minds could not reach the conclusion reached by the trier-of-fact.”
(Citations omitted.) Id.{¶ 22} In contrast, “[a] weight of the evidence argument challenges the believability
of the evidence and asks which of the competing inferences suggested by the evidence
is more believable or persuasive.” (Citation omitted.) Wilson at ¶ 12. When evaluating
whether a conviction was against the manifest weight of the evidence, the appellate court
must review the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider
witness credibility, and determine whether, in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the trier
of fact “ ‘clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the
conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered.’ ” Thompkins at 387, quoting State
v. Martin, 20 Ohio App.3d 172, 175, 485 N.E.2d 717 (1st Dist.1983). “The fact that the
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evidence is subject to different interpretations does not render the conviction against the
manifest weight of the evidence.” State v. Adams, 2d Dist. Greene Nos. 2013 CA 61,
2013 CA 62, 2014-Ohio-3432, ¶ 24, citing Wilson at ¶ 14. “A judgment of conviction
should be reversed as being against the manifest weight of the evidence only in
exceptional circumstances.” Id., citing Martin at 175.
Law and Analysis
{¶ 23} As previously discussed, Mukes was convicted of felony murder in violation
of R.C. 2903.02(B). That statute provides that: “No person shall cause the death of
another as a proximate result of the offender’s committing or attempting to commit an
offense of violence that is a felony of the first or second degree[.]” R.C. 2903.02(B).
“Therefore, in order to convict a defendant of felony murder, the State is not required to
prove that the defendant had an intent to kill, but instead must prove that the defendant
intended to commit the underlying felony that proximately caused the victim’s death.”
State v. Slaughter, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 25215, 2014-Ohio-862, ¶ 35, citing State v.
Mays, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 24168, 2012-Ohio-838, ¶ 6.
{¶ 24} It is well-established that felonious assault may serve as the underlying
offense of violence for a felony murder conviction. State v. Miller, 96 Ohio St.3d 384,
2002-Ohio-4931, 775 N.E.2d 498, syllabus. In this case, Mukes was also found guilty of
felonious assault in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(1), which provides that: “No person shall
knowingly * * * [c]ause serious physical harm to another[.]” R.C. 2903.11(A)(1). “A
person acts knowingly, regardless of purpose, when the person is aware that the person’s
conduct will probably cause a certain result or will probably be of a certain nature. A
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person has knowledge of circumstances when the person is aware that such
circumstances probably exist.” R.C. 2901.22(B).
{¶ 25} A person causes “serious physical harm” to another when he or she causes
“[a]ny physical harm that carries a substantial risk of death[.]” R.C. 2901.01(A)(5)(b).
Strangling a person to death constitutes the “serious physical harm” necessary to support
a charge of felonious assault, which in turn supports a charge for felony murder. See
State v. Winton, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 27043, 2017-Ohio-6908, ¶ 37-38, 40-41; State
v. Ramey, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 27636, 2018-Ohio-3072, ¶ 61 (Hall, J. concurring in
part and dissenting in part).
{¶ 26} In this case, Mukes does not dispute the fact that his mother’s death was a
homicide by strangulation, which no doubt satisfies the “serious physical harm” element
of the underlying felonious assault. Mukes instead argues that the State failed to present
sufficient evidence establishing that he was his mother’s assailant. We disagree.
{¶ 27} There was no dispute that Mukes resided with his mother, and the State
presented testimony and photographic evidence establishing that there was no forced
entry into their residence on the morning of the murder. The State also presented
evidence of fresh injuries observed on Mukes’ body after the police arrived at the scene.
Specifically, Detective Roberts testified to observing fresh scratches on the right side of
Mukes’ neck and on the bridge of his nose. Photographs of the scratches were admitted
into evidence, along with photographs of other injuries on Mukes’ body, including a small
amount of blood on his right ear and a scratch on one of his ring fingers. See State’s
Exhibit Nos. 36-41. During their testimony, Detective Roberts and Officer Campbell
confirmed that these injuries were observed and photographed prior to Mukes’ physical
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altercation with Officer Campbell and were therefore not a product of that altercation.
{¶ 28} In addition to Mukes’ injuries, multiple witnesses testified that Mukes was
wearing a blood-stained t-shirt on the morning of the murder. The State’s forensic DNA
analyst testified that the DNA extracted from the bloodstains was predominately from
Mukes’ mother and partially from Mukes himself. The DNA analyst also testified that
there was blood on Mukes’ left shoe that belonged to his mother and that his mother’s
DNA was also found under Mukes’ fingernails. The DNA analyst further testified that
Mukes’ DNA was detected on the bedsheet that was wrapped around his mother’s neck.
Mukes also could not be excluded as a contributor to the DNA that was detected on his
mother’s neck.
{¶ 29} Most significantly though, the DNA analyst testified that Mukes’ DNA was
detected underneath one of his mother’s right fingernails. During her testimony, the DNA
analyst explained that DNA does not appear underneath a fingernail after casual contact,
but instead from scratching or clawing another person, or in some instances sucking
another person’s finger. Therefore, because Mukes was observed with fresh scratches
on his body and his DNA was found underneath his mother’s fingernail, a rational juror
could have concluded that the fresh scratches on Mukes’ body were inflicted by his
mother on the morning of the murder.
{¶ 30} Although Mukes argues that the aforementioned blood and DNA evidence
was the result of him attempting to give his mother CPR, the photographic evidence and
the testimony of Detective Roberts and the coroner establish that the bedsheet was still
wrapped tightly around Mukes’ mother’s neck and was obstructing her mouth when
officers arrived at the scene. See State’s Exhibit Nos. 4-6, 67-72. At trial, Mukes could
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not credibly explain why he did not attempt to loosen the sheet around his mother’s neck
before he allegedly performed CPR on her. Mukes also could not credibly explain how
his mother’s blood got on the back of his t-shirt.
{¶ 31} In addition to the DNA evidence and Mukes’ injuries, the State presented
evidence establishing that Mukes made multiple suspicious statements. For example,
Inez Harbour testified that she overheard Mukes’ say to himself “I wouldn’t hurt my mama.
I didn’t do nothing to my mama.” Trial Trans. p. 335. Sergeant Clinger also testified
that when he asked Mukes what was going on, Mukes responded by saying “she wouldn’t
let me leave last night.” Id. at 377.
{¶ 32} With regard to the statement “she wouldn’t let me leave last night,” the State
presented evidence establishing that Mukes’ mother owned two cars, a Ford Taurus and
a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and that Mukes drove the Monte Carlo while Hinesmon drove
the Taurus. The State also presented evidence establishing that three days before his
mother’s murder, Mukes had been in a car accident that did not result in any significant
physical injuries, but rendered the Monte Carlo inoperable. During the murder
investigation, it was established that there was just one vehicle, Hinesmon’s Ford Taurus,
at the residence. Given this situation, and due to officers observing the keys to the
Taurus lying on the kitchen table on the morning of the murder, see State’s Exhibit Nos.
50-51, a rational factfinder could have inferred that Mukes’ statement “she wouldn’t let
me leave last night” was possibly in relation to his mother not letting him use her vehicle,
thus evidencing a motive for the attack.
{¶ 33} The State also presented evidence establishing that Mukes engaged in
strange behavior after the police arrived at the scene. For example, the cruiser camera
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video footage admitted into evidence shows Mukes banging his forehead against the
cruiser’s partition while he was sitting in the backseat. Mukes also resisted arrest at the
hospital by engaging in a physical altercation with Officer Campbell. Prior to those
incidents, Mukes was also observed to be emotionless and calm in the wake of his
mother’s violent death.
{¶ 34} Mukes was also inconsistent when explaining his whereabouts during the
hours leading up to his mother’s murder. On the recorded 9-1-1 call, Mukes, who
admitted to having mobility issues and occasionally walking with a cane, told the
emergency responder that he had been out jogging when the attack happened. Then,
at trial, Mukes changed his story and testified that he had walked to a friend’s house
where he drank and played cards for a couple of hours before coming home and finding
his mother’s body. Notably, Mukes did not present any witnesses or evidence to confirm
that story.
{¶ 35} When considered in a light most favorable to the State, all the foregoing
testimony and evidence could have led a rational juror to conclude that Mukes was the
individual who beat and strangled his mother to death. Therefore, based on the evidence
presented at trial, we find that Mukes’ conviction for felony murder and was supported by
sufficient evidence. Also, after reviewing the entire record, weighing the evidence and
all reasonable inferences, we do not find that the jury clearly lost its way and created a
manifest miscarriage of justice warranting the reversal of Mukes’ conviction.
Accordingly, we further find that Mukes’ conviction was not against the manifest weight
of the evidence.
{¶ 36} Mukes’ sole assignment of error is overruled.
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Conclusion
{¶ 37} Having overruled Mukes’ assignment of error, the judgment of the trial court
is affirmed.
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DONOVAN, J. and HALL, J., concur.
Copies sent to:
Mathias H. Heck, Jr.
Sarah E. Hutnik
Travis Kane
Hon. Mary Katherine Huffman