Com. v. McCarthy, E.

J-A19006-15
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
EUGENE JAMES MCCARTHY, JR.
Appellant No. 11 WDA 2014
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence November 18, 2013
In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-02-CR-0011401-2012
BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., JENKINS, J., and MUSMANNO, J.
MEMORANDUM BY JENKINS, J.: FILED JANUARY 15, 2016
Appellant Eugene James McCarthy appeals from the judgment of
sentence entered in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas following
his jury trial convictions for robbery (inflicts serious bodily injury),1
conspiracy to commit robbery (inflicts serious bodily injury),2 and third-
degree murder.3 After careful review, we affirm.
On August 7, 2012, Appellant, Quintelle Rankin, and Rankin’s nephew,
Corey Estes, were driving around in Appellant’s car looking for a marijuana
source. N.T., 8/5-16/2013, (“N.T.”) at 169, 176, 178, 179. While they were
____________________________________________
1
18 Pa.C.S. § 3701(a)(i).
2
18 Pa.C.S. § 903.
3
18 Pa.C.S. § 2502(c).
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in the car, Appellant, who was driving near the Brinton Manor Apartment
area said that it looked “like there was licks up there.” N.T. at 183. Estes
testified that “licks” is street slang for “robbery.” N.T. at 184. Appellant
parked the car and the trio began to walk around looking for people with
marijuana. N.T. at 187, 1372.
Appellant and his comrades encountered two males sitting on the
steps of one of the apartment buildings. N.T. at 188, 1373. One of the
males, Brandon Johns (“Victim”), said that he had marijuana and the trio
followed him to a nearby building. N.T. at 190-91, 1374. When the four of
them were in the building hallway, Victim sat on the steps, pulled out a bag
of marijuana and a scale, and began to weigh out some marijuana for
$20.00 per gram, as they had discussed. N.T. at 192-94, 1372. Appellant
proceeded to grab the entire bag of marijuana and said: “You might as well
give me all the shit.” N.T. at 197. Rankin and Victim then produced guns
and exchanged gunfire. N.T. 198-205, 1426. While he was shooting,
Rankin closed his eyes while firing his gun at Victim’s chest and shoulder
area. N.T. at 1425. Victim died from multiple gunshot wounds to the neck
and chest. N.T. at 78.
On August 19, 2013, a jury convicted Appellant of the aforementioned
crimes and acquitted Appellant of second-degree murder and tampering with
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evidence.4 On November 18, 2013, the trial court sentenced Appellant to
thirteen (13) to twenty-six (26) years’ incarceration.5
On December 2, 2013, Appellant filed a post-sentence motion, which
the court denied the next day.6 On December 31, 2013, Appellant timely
filed a notice of appeal. Both Appellant and the trial court complied with
Pa.R.A.P. 1925.7
Appellant raises the following issues for our review:
1. WAS APPELLANT ERRONEOUSLY CONVICTED OF
THIRD[-]DEGREE MURDER AND OF ROBBERY VIA
SERIOUS BODILY INJURY INFLICTED OR THREATENED
GIVEN THAT THE COMMONWEALTH FAILED TO PROVE,
BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, THAT APPELLANT’S CO-
DEFENDANT, QUINTELLE RANKIN, DID NOT ACT
____________________________________________
4
The same jury convicted Rankin of second-degree murder, robbery (serious
bodily injury), criminal conspiracy (robbery), and carrying a firearm without
a license and acquitted Rankin of first-degree murder.
5
The court sentenced Appellant consecutively to ten (10) to twenty (20)
years’ incarceration for third-degree murder and three (3) to six (6) years’
incarceration for conspiracy to commit robbery. The court imposed no
further penalty for Appellant’s robbery conviction.
6
November 28, 2013 fell on Thanksgiving Day. Because Appellant filed his
post-sentence motion on the following Monday, we consider his motion
timely. See 1 Pa.C.S. § 1908.
7
On January 2, 2014, the court ordered Appellant to file a concise statement
of errors complained of on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). On
January 23, 2014, Appellant filed a motion for an extension of time to file his
concise statement, which the court granted on January 29, 2014. Appellant
filed an additional motion for an extension of time to file his statement on
February 24, 2014, which the court again granted. On April 7, 2014,
Appellant timely filed his Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement. The court filed a
Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) opinion on July 18, 2014.
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JUSTIFIABLY WHEN HE SHOT AND KILLED THE DECEDENT,
BRANDON JOHNS (SUCH ACTION BEING JUSTIFIABLE
SINCE IT WAS TAKEN IN DEFENSE OF HIMSELF AND OF
APPELLANT)?
2. WAS APPELLANT ERRONEOUSLY CONVICTED OF THIRD
DEGREE MURDER GIVEN THAT THE COMMONWEALTH
FAILED TO PROVE, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, THAT
APPELLANT WAS VICARIOUSLY LIABLE FOR BRANDON
JOHNS’ DEATH UNDER EITHER THE RULE OF ACCOMPLICE
LIABILITY OR THE RULE OF CONSPIRATORIAL LIABILITY,
GIVEN THAT (A) APPELLANT DID NOT ACT WITH
RECKLESSNESS OR EXTREME INDIFFERENCE TO THE
VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE, AS WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER
TO CONVICT HIM OF THIRD DEGREE MURDER UNDER THE
RULE OF ACCOMPLICE LIABILITY; (B) THE RULE OF
CONSPIRATORIAL LIABILITY DID NOT SURVIVE THE
ENACTMENT OF THE CRIMES CODE; AND (C) EVEN IF
CONSPIRATORIAL LIABILITY WAS A VIABLE OPTION,
QUINTELLE RANKIN’S FATAL SHOOTING OF JOHNS WAS
NOT FORESEEABLE TO APPELLANT SINCE APPELLANT WAS
UNAWARE, SO FAR AS THE EVIDENCE INDICATED, THAT
RANKIN WAS EVEN ARMED?
3. WAS APPELLANT (A) ERRONEOUSLY CONVICTED OF
ROBBERY VIA SERIOUS BODILY INJURY INFLICTED OR
THREATENED GIVEN THAT THE COMMONWEALTH FAILED
TO PROVE, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, THAT
APPELLANT WAS VICARIOUSLY LIABLE FOR RANKIN’S
FATAL SHOOTING OF JOHNS (APPELLANT, AS NOTED,
BEING UNAWARE THAT RANKIN WAS ARMED), AND (B)
ERRONEOUSLY CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT
ROBBERY VIA SERIOUS BODILY INJURY INFLICTED OR
THREATENED GIVEN THAT THE COMMONWEALTH FAILED
TO PROVE, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, THAT THE
PARTIES AGREED TO COMMIT A CRIME AND, IF THEY DID,
THAT THAT CRIME WAS ROBBERY VIA SERIOUS BODILY
INJURY INFLICTED OR THREATENED RATHER THAN
ROBBERY VIA PHYSICAL FORCE?
4. WERE APPELLANT’S DUE PROCESS RIGHTS UNDER THE
FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES
CONSTITUTION AND ARTICLE I § 9 OF THE
PENNSYLVANIA CONSTITUTION VIOLATED WHEN HE WAS
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CONVICTED OF THIRD DEGREE MURDER, ROBBERY VIA
SERIOUS BODILY INJURY INFLICTED, AND CONSPIRACY
TO COMMIT ROBBERY VIA SERIOUS BODILY INJURY
INFLICTED OR THREATENED BASED ON LEGALLY
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE?
Appellant’s Brief at 3-4.
In all of his issues, Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the
evidence. When examining a challenge to the sufficiency of evidence, our
standard of review is as follows:
The standard we apply in reviewing the sufficiency of the
evidence is whether viewing all the evidence admitted at
trial in the light most favorable to the verdict winner, there
is sufficient evidence to enable the fact-finder to find every
element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In
applying [the above] test, we may not weigh the evidence
and substitute our judgment for the fact-finder. In
addition, we note that the facts and circumstances
established by the Commonwealth need not preclude every
possibility of innocence. Any doubts regarding a
defendant’s guilt may be resolved by the fact-finder unless
the evidence is so weak and inconclusive that as a matter
of law no probability of fact may be drawn from the
combined circumstances. The Commonwealth may sustain
its burden of proving every element of the crime beyond a
reasonable doubt by means of wholly circumstantial
evidence. Moreover, in applying the above test, the entire
record must be evaluated and all evidence actually
received must be considered. Finally, the [trier] of fact
while passing upon the credibility of witnesses and the
weight of the evidence produced, is free to believe all, part
or none of the evidence.
Commonwealth v. Hansley, 24 A.3d 410, 416 (Pa.Super.2011), appeal
denied, 32 A.3d 1275 (Pa.2011) (quoting Commonwealth v. Jones, 874
A.2d 108, 120-21 (Pa.Super.2005)).
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In his first issue, Appellant claims the Commonwealth failed to present
sufficient evidence for the jury to find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that
Rankin did not act in self-defense when he shot Victim. We disagree.
Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code governs self-defense and provides, in
relevant part:
§ 505. Use of force in self-protection
(a) Use of force justifiable for protection of the
person.--The use of force upon or toward another person
is justifiable when the actor believes that such force is
immediately necessary for the purpose of protecting
himself against the use of unlawful force by such other
person on the present occasion.
(b) Limitations on justifying necessity for use of
force.—
* * *
(2) The use of deadly force is not justifiable under this
section unless the actor believes that such force is
necessary to protect himself against death, serious
bodily injury, kidnapping or sexual intercourse
compelled by force or threat; nor is it justifiable if:
(i) the actor, with the intent of causing death or
serious bodily injury, provoked the use of force
against himself in the same encounter; or
(ii) the actor knows that he can avoid the necessity
of using such force with complete safety by
retreating, except the actor is not obliged to retreat
from his dwelling or place of work, unless he was the
initial aggressor or is assailed in his place of work by
another person whose place of work the actor knows
it to be.
18 Pa.C.S. § 505.
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To establish a claim of self-defense, a defendant must prove three
elements: “(a) [that the defendant] reasonably believed that he was in
imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury and that it was necessary
to use deadly force against the victim to prevent such harm; (b) that the
defendant was free from fault in provoking the difficulty which culminated in
the slaying; and (c) that the [defendant] did not violate any duty to retreat.”
Commonwealth v. Mouzon, 53 A.3d 738, 740-41 (Pa.2012) (internal
footnotes omitted). Although the burden is on the Commonwealth to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was not acting in self-
defense, “before the defense is properly in issue, there must be some
evidence, from whatever source, to justify such a finding.” Id. at 741.
To claim self-defense, the defendant must be free from
fault in provoking or escalating the altercation that led to
the offense, before the defendant can be excused from
using deadly force. Likewise, the Commonwealth can
negate a self-defense claim by proving the defendant used
more force than reasonably necessary to protect against
death or serious bodily injury.
Commonwealth v. Smith, 97 A.3d 782, 788 (Pa.Super.2014) (internal
citations and emphasis omitted).
Appellant contends that the Commonwealth offered no evidence to
show that Appellant or his co-felons planned to kill Victim. He maintains
that Appellant’s tussle with Victim over Victim’s firearm did not constitute a
threat that would qualify as provoking or escalating the altercation that led
to the offense. Further, he claims that, although Rankin brandished a gun
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prior to Victim’s firing the first shot, Rankin’s gun did not provoke Victim
because Victim could not see Rankin’s gun.
Here, both Rankin and Estes testified that Victim fired the first shot.
Rankin testified that Victim started shooting for an unknown reason, while
Appellant was giving him money for the marijuana, and that Rankin pulled
out his gun in self-defense. N.T. at 1376. Estes testified, however, that
Rankin and Appellant intended to rob Victim, that Rankin pulled out his gun
before Victim pulled out his gun, and that immediately after Rankin
brandished his gun, Victim told Appellant that he could have all of the
marijuana. N.T. at 203. Rankin also testified that he did not believe Victim
could see that Rankin was brandishing a gun at the time. N.T. at 202.
When viewing all evidence in the light most favorable to the
Commonwealth as verdict winner, there was sufficient evidence for the jury
to find that Rankin was not free from fault in provoking or escalating the
altercation that led to Victim’s death. The jury, who was free to believe all,
part, or none of the evidence, chose to believe part of Estes’ testimony and
found that Rankin was not free from fault such that he was excused from
using deadly force. The evidence that Rankin brandished a gun while
Appellant was demanding Victim give him his marijuana, that Victim gave
Appellant his marijuana immediately after Rankin brandished the gun, and
that Rankin shot Victim seven times supports the jury’s findings. Thus, the
Commonwealth presented sufficient evidence for the jury to find, beyond a
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reasonable doubt, that Rankin did not act in self-defense when he shot and
killed Victim. See Hansley, supra; Smith, supra.
For purposes of disposition, we will next address Appellant’s third
issue.
In his third issue, Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence
for his robbery (inflicts serious bodily injury) and his conspiracy to commit
robbery (inflicts serious bodily injury) convictions. He claims that, because
the Commonwealth did not present evidence that Appellant knew Rankin
was armed, there was not sufficient evidence for the jury to find that he was
an accomplice to robbery (inflicts serious bodily injury) or to find that he was
a co-conspirator to such a crime. He claims the evidence at most supported
a conviction for theft or robbery (physical force) and conspiracy to commit
such lesser crime. Again, we disagree.
Appellant was convicted under the following statute:
§ 3701. Robbery
(a) Offense defined.--
(1) A person is guilty of robbery if, in the course of
committing a theft, he:
(i) inflicts serious bodily injury upon another;
(ii) threatens another with or intentionally puts
him in fear of immediate serious bodily injury;
(iii) commits or threatens immediately to commit
any felony of the first or second degree;
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(iv) inflicts bodily injury upon another or
threatens another with or intentionally puts him in
fear of immediate bodily injury;
(v) physically takes or removes property from the
person of another by force however slight; or
18 Pa.C.S. § 3701.
To sustain a conviction of robbery, the Commonwealth
must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that [a
defendant], in the course of committing a theft, inflicted
serious bodily injury upon [a victim], or threatened him
with or intentionally put him in fear of immediate serious
bodily injury. 18 [Pa.C.S.] § 3701(a). The element “in the
course of committing a theft” is proven if the
Commonwealth proves that the offense occurred during an
attempt to commit theft or in flight after the attempt or
commission. 18 [Pa.C.S.] § 3701(a)(2).… A person
commits a theft if he or she “unlawfully takes... movable
property of another with intent to deprive him thereof.” 18
[Pa.C.S.] § 3921(a).
Commonwealth v. Ennis, 574 A.2d 1116, 1119 (Pa.Super.1990).
The jury found Appellant guilty of robbery under § 3701(a)(1)(i) based
on the theory of accomplice liability.8 The Crimes Code provides, in relevant
part:
§ 306. Liability for conduct of another; complicity
(a) General rule.--A person is guilty of an offense if it is
committed by his own conduct or by the conduct of
another person for which he is legally accountable, or
both.
____________________________________________
8
The trial court instructed the jury on theories of direct liability, accomplice
liability and co-conspirator liability. It is only necessary for us to examine
the theory of accomplice liability to determine whether the Commonwealth
presented sufficient evidence to support Appellant’s robbery conviction.
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(b) Conduct of another.--A person is legally accountable
for the conduct of another person when:
* * *
(3) he is an accomplice of such other person in the
commission of the offense.
(c) Accomplice defined.--A person is an accomplice of
another person in the commission of an offense if:
(1) with the intent of promoting or facilitating the
commission of the offense, he:
* * *
(ii) aids or agrees or attempts to aid such other
person in planning or committing it; or
(2) his conduct is expressly declared by law to establish
his complicity.
(d) Culpability of accomplice.--When causing a
particular result is an element of an offense, an
accomplice in the conduct causing such result is an
accomplice in the commission of that offense, if he
acts with the kind of culpability, if any, with respect
to that result that is sufficient for the commission of
the offense.
* * *
(g) Prosecution of accomplice only.--An accomplice
may be convicted on proof of the commission of the
offense and of his complicity therein, though the person
claimed to have committed the offense has not been
prosecuted or convicted or has been convicted of a
different offense or degree of offense or has an immunity
to prosecution or conviction or has been acquitted.
18 Pa.C.S. § 306 (emphasis added).
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Here, the Commonwealth presented evidence that Appellant unlawfully
took Victim’s marijuana with the intent to deprive him thereof and that
Rankin shot and killed Victim during the commission of the theft. Thus,
there was sufficient evidence for the jury to convict Rankin of robbery under
§ 3701(a)(1)(i).
Appellant maintains that because the Commonwealth did not present
evidence that Appellant was aware that Rankin had a gun, it failed to
present evidence of the requisite culpability to be an accomplice to §
3701(a)(1)(i) robbery. However, the only mens rea this crime required was
the intent to commit the underlying theft. The Commonwealth presented
evidence that Appellant aided Rankin in committing the robbery. Although
Rankin pulled the trigger that caused the serious bodily injury (death) to
Victim, § 3701(a)(1)(i) does not require that the perpetrator intend to inflict
serious bodily injury, it only requires that the perpetrator inflict serious
bodily injury. The only mens rea required for this crime was the intent to
steal Victim’s marijuana, and the Commonwealth presented evidence of this
intent. Thus, the Commonwealth presented sufficient evidence for the jury
to find Appellant guilty of § 3701(a)(1)(i) robbery under the theory of
accomplice liability.
Next, Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence for his
conspiracy conviction. Our legislature defines criminal conspiracy as follows:
(a) Definition of conspiracy.--A person is guilty of
conspiracy with another person or persons to commit a
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crime if with the intent of promoting or facilitating its
commission he:
(1) agrees with such other person or persons that they
or one or more of them will engage in conduct which
constitutes such crime or an attempt or solicitation to
commit such crime; or
(2) agrees to aid such other person or persons in the
planning or commission of such crime or of an attempt
or solicitation to commit such crime.
(b) Scope of conspiratorial relationship.--If a person
guilty of conspiracy, as defined by subsection (a) of this
section, knows that a person with whom he conspires to
commit a crime has conspired with another person or
persons to commit the same crime, he is guilty of
conspiring with such other person or persons, to commit
such crime whether or not he knows their identity.
* * *
(e) Overt act.--No person may be convicted of conspiracy
to commit a crime unless an overt act in pursuance of such
conspiracy is alleged and proved to have been done by him
or by a person with whom he conspired.
* * *
(g) Duration of conspiracy.--For purposes of 42 Pa.C.S.
§ 5552(d) (relating to commission of offense):
(1) conspiracy is a continuing course of conduct which
terminates when the crime or crimes which are its object
are committed or the agreement that they be committed is
abandoned by the defendant and by those with whom he
conspired;
(2) such abandonment is presumed if neither the
defendant nor anyone with whom he conspired does any
overt act in pursuance of the conspiracy during the
applicable period of limitation; and
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(3) if an individual abandons the agreement, the
conspiracy is terminated as to him only if and when he
advises those with whom he conspired of his abandonment
or he informs the law enforcement authorities of the
existence of the conspiracy and of his participation therein.
18 Pa.C.S. § 903.
Here, the Commonwealth presented evidence that Appellant acted
together with Rankin with the intent of unlawfully depriving Victim of his
marijuana. Appellant made an overt act by demanding Victim’s marijuana
and Rankin inflicted serious bodily injury (for which no intent was required),
namely death, in the furtherance of the conspiracy to steal the marijuana.
Appellant made no attempt to abandon the agreement before Victim was
dead. Thus, the Commonwealth presented sufficient evidence to support
Appellant’s conviction of conspiracy to commit § 3701(a)(1)(i) robbery.
Now we address Appellant’s second issue, in which he challenges the
sufficiency of the evidence for his conviction for third degree murder.
Murder is defined by statute as follows:
2502. Murder
(a) Murder of the first degree.--A criminal homicide
constitutes murder of the first degree when it is committed
by an intentional killing.
(b) Murder of the second degree.--A criminal homicide
constitutes murder of the second degree when it is
committed while defendant was engaged as a principal
or an accomplice in the perpetration of a felony.[9]
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9
The Crimes Code defines “perpetration of a felony” as:
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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(c) Murder of the third degree.--All other kinds of
murder shall be murder of the third degree. Murder of the
third degree is a felony of the first degree.
18 Pa.C.S. § 2502 (emphasis added).
To consider a killing murder, malice must be present:
At the common law murder is described to be, when a
person of sound memory and discretion unlawfully kills any
reasonable creature in being and under the peace of the
Commonwealth, with malice aforethought, expressed or
implied. The distinguishing criterion of murder is malice
aforethought. But it is not malice in its ordinary
understanding alone, a particular ill-will, a spite or a
grudge. Malice is a legal term, implying much more. It
comprehends not only a particular ill-will, but every case
where there is wickedness of disposition, hardness of
heart, cruelty, recklessness of consequences, and a mind
regardless of social duty, although a particular person may
not be intended to be injured. Murder, therefore, at
common law embraces cases where no intent to kill
existed, but where the state or frame of mind termed
malice, in its legal sense, prevailed.
Commonwealth v. Drum, 58 Pa. 9, 15 (1868).
For second degree murder, “[t]he malice or intent to commit the
underlying crime is imputed to the killing to make it second-degree murder,
_______________________
(Footnote Continued)
The act of the defendant in engaging in or being an
accomplice in the commission of, or an attempt to commit,
or flight after committing, or attempting to commit
robbery, rape, or deviate sexual intercourse by force or
threat of force, arson, burglary or kidnapping.
18 Pa.C.S. § 2502(d) (emphasis added).
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regardless of whether the defendant actually intended to physically harm the
victim.” Commonwealth v. Lambert, 795 A.2d 1010, 1022
(Pa.Super.2002), appeal denied, 805 A.2d 521 (Pa.2002).
When an actor engages in one of the statutorily
enumerated felonies and a killing occurs, the law, via the
felony-murder rule, allows the finder of fact to infer the
killing was malicious from the fact the actor was
engaged in a felony of such a dangerous nature to
human life because the actor, as held to the standard of a
reasonable man, knew or should have known that
death might result from the felony….
In Commonwealth v. Melton, 178 A.2d 728, 731
([Pa.]1962), cert. denied, 371 U.S. 851, 83 S.Ct. 93, 9
L.Ed.2d 87 (1962), our Supreme Court explained that not
only the killer, but all participants in a felony, including
the getaway driver, are equally guilty of felony murder
when a killing by a felon occurs.
The statute defining second degree murder does not
require that a homicide be foreseeable; rather, it is only
necessary that the accused engaged in conduct as a
principal or an accomplice in the perpetration of a
felony. Whether evidence sufficiently indicates that a
killing was in furtherance of a predicate felony can be a
difficult question. Commonwealth v. Laudenberger, 715
A.2d 1156, 1160 (Pa.Super.1998). The question of
whether the killing was in furtherance of the conspiracy is
a question of proof for the jury to resolve.
[Commonwealth v. Middleton, 467 A.2d 841, 848
(Pa.Super.1983)]. It does not matter whether the
appellant anticipated that the victim would be killed
in furtherance of the conspiracy. Id. Rather, the fact
finder determines whether the appellant knew or should
have known that the possibility of death accompanied a
dangerous undertaking. [Id.]
Lambert, 795 A.2d at 1023 (some internal citations omitted) (emphasis
added).
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“In adjudging a felony-murder, it is to be remembered at all times that
the thing which is imputed to a felon for a killing incidental to his felony is
malice and not the act of killing.” Commonwealth v. Redline, 137 A.2d
472, 476 (Pa.1958) (emphasis in original). “[I]t is the general rule of law
that a person may not be held criminally responsible for a killing unless the
homicide were either actually or constructively committed by him; and, in
order to be his act, it must be committed by his own hand, or by someone
acting in concert with him, or in furtherance of a common design or
purpose.” Id. at 479.
A person may be convicted of third-degree murder where
the murder is neither intentional nor committed during the
perpetration of a felony, but contains the requisite malice
aforethought. Malice consists of a wickedness of
disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty, recklessness of
consequences, and a mind regardless of social duty,
although a particular person may not be intended to be
injured.
Commonwealth v. Pigg, 571 A.2d 438, 441-42 (Pa.Super.1990), appeal
denied, 581 A.2d 571 (Pa.1990) (internal quotations and citations omitted).
The elements of third degree murder, as developed by
case law, are a killing done with legal malice but without
specific intent to kill required in first degree murder. Malice
is the essential element of third degree murder, and is the
distinguishing factor between murder and manslaughter.
Commonwealth v. Cruz–Centeno, 668 A.2d 536, 539 (Pa.Super.1995).
appeal denied, 676 A.2d 1195 (Pa.1996).
[E]vidence of intent to kill is simply irrelevant to third
degree murder. The elements of third degree murder
absolutely include an intentional act, but not an act defined
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by the statute as intentional murder. The act sufficient for
third degree is still a purposeful one, committed with
malice, which results in death—clearly, one can conspire to
such an intentional act.
Commonwealth v. Fisher, 80 A.3d 1186, 1191 (Pa.2013), cert. denied sub
nom. Best v. Pennsylvania, 134 S. Ct. 2314, 189 L. Ed. 2d 192 (2014)
(emphasis in original).
Here, Appellant was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery
(serious bodily injury inflicted), robbery (serious bodily injury inflicted), and
third-degree murder, and Appellant’s co-conspirator was convicted of
conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, carrying a firearm without a license,
and second-degree murder. The jury acquitted Appellant of second-degree
murder.
The requisite malice for second-degree murder can be inferred by the
underlying felonious act, and Appellant was convicted of robbery (inflicts
serious bodily injury), which is an enumerated felony in the statute. Thus,
the jury could have convicted him of second-degree murder. See Lambert,
supra.
Appellant claims that because the Commonwealth did not prove
Appellant was aware of his co-conspirator’s weapon,10 it did not establish
that Appellant acted with malice. Appellant contends that accomplice
____________________________________________
10
We need not now determine whether the Commonwealth presented
sufficient evidence that Appellant knew his co-conspirator was armed.
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liability does not render him culpable for a homicide that results from a
robbery in which he was an accomplice if he was not aware that his
accomplice was armed. Appellant quotes Commonwealth v. Knox, 105
A.3d 1194 (Pa.2014), for the following proposition:
After the passage of the Crimes Code, status as an
accomplice relative to some crimes within a larger criminal
undertaking or episode no longer per se renders a
defendant liable as an accomplice for all other crimes
committed. Rather, closer, offense-specific analysis of
intent and conduct is required.
Knox, 105 A.3d at 1197; Appellant’s Brief at 33. Appellant, however, omits
the following attendant footnote: “There are statutory exceptions to this
principle, most notably, the felony-murder rule. See 18 Pa.C.S. § 2502(b).”
Id. at 1197, n. 3.11
Although the jury did not convict Appellant of second-degree murder,
it convicted him of robbery. As a result, the Commonwealth presented
sufficient evidence for the jury to conclude that Appellant exhibited malice
by committing a robbery during which a victim was recklessly killed. See
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11
In footnote 13, the dissent notes that the crime of conspiracy is not an
enumerated felony in the Crimes Code for purposes of the felony-murder
rule. In addition to conspiracy, however, a jury convicted Appellant, either
under direct or accomplice liability, of robbery, inflicts serious bodily injury,
which is an enumerated felony. The robbery statute does not require that a
felon intend to inflict serious bodily injury on another; it only requires that
serious bodily injury be inflicted while one is in the course of committing a
theft. Because Appellant’s accomplice killed Victim while Appellant was
committing an enumerated felony, it is of no moment whether death was the
natural and probable consequence of Appellant’s robbery.
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Lambert, supra. The fact that the jury acquitted Appellant of second-
degree murder does not mean it did not find the requisite malice for the
offense.12
The trial court instructed the jury as follows:
A person who kills must act with malice to be guilty of any
degree of murder.
The word “malice,” as I am using it, has a special legal
meaning. It does not mean simply hatred, spite or ill will.
Malice is a shorthand way of referring to any of the three
different mental states that the law regards as being bad
enough to make a killing murder.
The type of malice differs for each degree of murder.
Thus, for murder of the first degree, a killing is with malice
if the perpetrator acts with: First, an intent to kill, or as I
will later explain in my definition of first-degree murder,
the killing is willful, deliberate and premeditated.
For murder of the second degree or felony murder, as
second-degree murder is commonly called, a killing is with
malice if the perpetrator engages in one of certain
enumerated felonies and a killing occurs, since the law,
through the felony murder rule, allows the finder of fact to
infer that the killing was malicious from the fact that the
actor was engaged in a felony of such a dangerous nature
to human life that the perpetrator, as held to the standard
of a reasonable man, knew or should have known that
death might result from the felony.
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12
“[A]n acquittal cannot be interpreted as a specific finding in relation to
some of the evidence, and that even where two verdicts are logically
inconsistent, such inconsistency alone cannot be grounds for a new trial or
for reversal. Furthermore, the ‘special weight’ afforded the fact of an
acquittal plays no role in the analysis of inconsistent verdicts, because, by
definition, one of the verdicts will always be an acquittal.” Commonwealth
v. Miller, 35 A.3d 1206, 1213 (Pa.2012).
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For murder of the third degree, a killing is with malice if
the perpetrator’s actions show his wanton and willful
disregard of an unjustified and extremely high risk that his
conduct would result in death or serious bodily injury to
another. In this form of malice the Commonwealth need
not prove that the perpetrator specifically intended to kill
another.
The Commonwealth must prove, however, that he took
action while consciously; that is knowingly, disregarding
the most serious risk he was creating and that by his
disregard of that risk he demonstrated his extreme
indifference to the value of human life.
* * *
You may find that [Appellant] was acting with malice if you
are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he and the
other Defendants were partners in committing the robbery.
Because robbery is a crime inherently dangerous to human
life, there does not have to be any other proof of malice.
N.T., 8/5-16/2013, at 1699-1701, 1704.
At sentencing, the court noted:
I think the evidence presented and the jury’s verdict
supports the view of this case that while [Appellant]
agreed to get involved in an armed robbery, he did not
expect his co-defendant to execute [Victim] as he did.
And we are to sentence defendants on what their legally
responsible conduct is.
And there is no other reason the court can think of why the
jury would come back on murder of the third degree on
[Appellant], as opposed to murder in the second degree,
that they didn’t feel that to some degree Mr. Rankin even
acted beyond what [Appellant] expected, or what was
planned on.
I think [Appellant] is entitled to the benefit of the
differences in the verdict.
Sentencing Transcript, 11/18/2013, at 69-70.
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To sustain a verdict for third-degree murder, the Commonwealth
needed to present sufficient evidence that Appellant acted with malice and
that his actions resulted in the death of another person. See Cruz–
Centeno, supra.
Malice is a “wickedness of disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty,
recklessness of consequences, and a mind regardless of social duty”. Drum,
supra. Malice is imputed into a second-degree murder conviction when a
defendant commits certain enumerated felonies because those certain
enumerated offenses indicate the requisite recklessness of consequences
and mind regardless of social duty of which malice consists. Just because
the jurors did not convict Appellant of second-degree murder, as they could
have done, does not mean Appellant lacked the malice that resulted in this
robbery-induced homicide. Because a homicide occurred while Appellant
was committing the enumerated offense of robbery, Appellant exhibited the
“wickedness of disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty, recklessness of
consequences, and… mind regardless of social duty” required to find malice
for purposes of third degree murder. Thus, the Commonwealth presented
sufficient evidence for the jury to find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that
Appellant committed third-degree murder.
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Accordingly, Appellant’s claims merit no relief.13
Judgement of sentence affirmed.
Judge Musmanno joins in the memorandum.
President Judge Emeritus Bender files a dissenting memorandum.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 1/15/2016
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13
Due to the disposition of Appellant’s first three claims, we need not
address his final claim.
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