Reeves v. State

Appellant Robert Lee Reeves, Jr., was sentenced to life imprisonment upon the jury’s verdict finding him guilty of felony murder predicated upon aggravated assault.1 The trial court denied appellant’s motion for new trial brought on the ground of insufficiency of the evidence and on the ground that evidence of a prior attempted rape for which he was previously convicted was improperly admitted as a similar transaction. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

Viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, the evidence showed the body of victim Crystal Morgan was discovered along a wooded path in Macon on the morning of July 29, 2009. The investigating officer testified that evidence at the crime scene showed there had been a struggle. The autopsy noted superficial lacerations in the anal area and inside the vagina that appeared to have occurred at or near the time of death. The victim had injuries around her neck and petechial pinpoint hemorrhages in the eyes which were consistent with strangulation. Although markings on the victim’s body were more consistent with strangulation from some type of ligature, the medical examiner could not rule out manual strangulation. The victim’s underpants were down to her knees and dirt was discovered on the victim’s hands, face and sandals. Male DNA taken from the victim’s body was placed in a sexual assault kit and was later matched to the appellant’s DNA recorded in a database and also to DNA from a buccal swab taken from appellant by police investigators. No other male DNA was found in the samples taken from the victim’s body. The State also presented similar transaction evidence discussed further in Division 2.