A jury convicted Stacey O. Lanham of the stabbing death of Gerald Mutcherson in connection with a drug deal.1 At trial, Lanham admitted killing Mutcherson, but claimed it was in self defense. On appeal, Lanham contends that the State failed to establish venue and the trial court failed to instruct the jury on the burden of proof for venue. Finding no error, we affirm.
1. Testifying in his own defense at trial, Lanham said he picked up Mutcherson at “the 400 block,” where he lived around 9 p.m. on October 5, 2005, and they began driving around. While Mutcherson talked on his cell phone, Lanham asked for $40 of crack cocaine. Mutcherson handed some cocaine to Lanham, who smoked a little of it as he drove. After Mutcherson got off the telephone, he asked for his money. Lanham said he did not have any money and instead had stereo speakers to trade. Mutcherson said he wanted his money and that he was going to kill Lanham if he did not get it. Mutcherson began to reach in his pocket, and Lanham testified that he thought Mutcherson was reaching for a gun. Lanham tried to stop Mutcherson, who flung away Lanham’s hand. As Mutcherson continued to reach in his pocket, Lanham grabbed a knife and stabbed Mutcherson. When Mutcherson stiffened up, Lanham panicked; he turned onto a dirt road and dragged Mutcherson’s body from the truck and into the woods. Returning home, Lanham asked his girlfriend to help clean the blood from the truck. She testified that he was freaking out, saying “I killed him.” The following day Lanham washed the truck at a car wash, threw away Mutcherson’s cell phone in a dumpster at the car wash, and threw a bag of bloodied clothing, towels, and rags out of the truck while traveling to his mother’s house. After Mutcherson’s body was discovered that morning, police began calling people whose names and phone numbers were listed on a piece of paper found in Mutcherson’s pocket. Lanham was the only person contacted who did not cooperate; later that evening he surrendered himself to police. The medical examiner testified that Mutcherson died from a stab wound to his chest. After reviewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury’s determination of guilt, we conclude that a rational trier of fact could have found Lanham guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the crimes charged. See Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U. S. 307 99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560 1979.
