A jury found Philanders Lamont Bowie guilty of felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree in connection with the beating death of his girlfriend’s seventeen-month-old daughter, Makayla Valley. Following the denial of his motion for new trial, as amended, Bowie appeals his convictions, claiming that bad character evidence was improperly admitted and that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance. For the reasons which follow, we affirm.1 The evidence construed in favor of the verdicts showed the following. On July 6, 2005, Candace Jakes left Makayla in the care of Bowie, while she went to work. Nothing appeared to be wrong with Makayla at the time Jakes left for work; in fact, Jakes bathed and changed the child before she left and the baby acted normally and had no bruises on her body. Twice during her evening work shift, after 6:00 p.m. and after 8:00 p.m., Jakes telephoned her residence to check on Makayla; during the later call, Bowie told Jakes that “he was still playing a game” and that Makayla was “laying down” and was asleep. At approximately 10:00 p.m., Bowie telephoned 911 and reported that the baby “was throwing up and her stomach got bloated and she stopped breathing”; Bowie also told the 911 operator that “nobody is with me.” Emergency responders found Makayla dead on the scene and badly bruised. The baby’s belly was very “extended” and bruised, and the bruising was fresh. Bowie’s responses to the responders’ questions were “vague” and his demeanor was “cold.” Later, Bowie admitted to police that he shook Makayla, that he picked her up in her “bouncy chair” and was”tossing her back and forth,” and that he had “forcibly pushed her.” He also acknowledged that he was “overly aggressive” in handling the child. The police investigation revealed a dent in the wall near the bed where Makayla was kept in her bouncy chair. Inside the dent was red paint, the same color as the red railings on the bouncy chair. Also, the stabilizer bar on the chair had a crusty white substance on it, consistent with the plaster on the dented wall. The autopsy on Makayla revealed that the baby had suffered internal bleeding, a torn liver, and significant impact to her skull; she died from the cumulative injuries. The medical examiner testified that Makayla’s head might have been slammed on a table, chair, floor, or wall, and that she had received a severe beating, including blows from a fist.
1. The evidence was sufficient to enable a rational trier of fact to find Bowie guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the crimes for which he was convicted. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U.S. 30799 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560 1979.
