Appellant Kevin Huckabee appeals his convictions stemming from the death of Jennifer Ross and the aggravated assault of Brett Finley.1 On December 24, 2005, appellant and three others —Michael Thorpe “Michael”,2 Webster Wilson,3 and Sean Thorpe “Sean”4 —were driving around downtown Savannah in a stolen Ford Taurus looking for people to rob when they decided to rob four people walking in Orleans Square. Sean testified that he and appellant were to retrieve the victims’ wallets while Wilson and Michael held the victims at gunpoint. Appellant, however, never exited the car. During the robbery, Wilson pistol-whipped victim Brett Finley, causing the gun to fire. Wilson then pointed the gun in Finley’s face demanding money. Upon hearing the first gunshot, two other victims, Lizzie Sprague and Brannen Miles, started to flee on foot. They eventually encountered a taxi cab and had the cab driver call police. The fourth victim Jennifer Ross refused to give up her purse and was shot by Michael. Sean, who was relieving himself on a tree, started running as soon as he heard the first gunshot. By the second gunshot, all the perpetrators scattered and some of them rode away in the stolen Ford Taurus driven by appellant. Appellant picked up Sean a few blocks away from the crime scene. The men returned to the apartment complex where they usually fraternized and wiped down the car. Within days they also discarded their guns which were never recovered. About two or three days later, appellant gave the stolen Ford Taurus to someone in the neighborhood. About a week after the incident, Ms. Ross died from her injuries and the matter became a homicide. Appellant was initially arrested for theft by receiving on January 14, 2006 and, while in jail for that charge, was charged with counts related to the aggravated assault and death of Ross and aggravated assault of Finley.
1. The evidence as summarized above was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find appellant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt as a party to the crime of the felony murder of Jennifer Ross, aggravated assault with an intent to rob Brett Finley, and theft by receiving. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U.S. 307 99 SC 2781, 61 L.E2d 560 1979; OCGA § 16-2-20.
