The appellant, Joseph Carson, appeals from his conviction for murder and other crimes stemming from the stabbing death of Leo Ford.1 On appeal, Carson contends, among other things, the trial court erred in failing to give a limiting instruction regarding an officer’s testimony and erred in admitting evidence of a prior difficulty between Carson and the victim. Finding no merit to Carson’s contentions, we affirm his convictions. 1. On January 19, 2005, Paul Henry was drinking beers and smoking crack cocaine with Carson and Ford. Ford and Carson were roommates. Henry had been friends with Ford for about 10 years and had worked with Carson for about four years before the crimes. When the supply of cocaine was exhausted, Henry and Ford discussed leaving the house to buy more alcohol and cocaine. Ford asked Henry if he would give Ford some cash in exchange for some of his food stamps so that he could buy some more drugs. Ford also asked Henry not to tell Carson that he had food stamps, because Ford owed Carson some money. Henry, however, did inform Carson about the food stamps. The two men the left the house, and Ford bought some drugs. After the drug purchase, Ford and Henry went their separate ways, and Henry stated that he thought Ford went home.
The next day, January 20, 2005, police officers found Ford’s body in a sinkhole at a school located a block away from the house in which Carson and Ford lived. Ford’s legs were partially in a large plastic garbage bag, and there was another large plastic garbage bag under his back. His clothes were soaked in blood, and a knife was sticking out of his chest. The medical examiner testified that Ford had been stabbed six times and died from a deep stab wound that penetrated his lungs and severed his pulmonary artery, resulting in massive blood loss. A yellow Dollar General bag was found next to the body. After the police identified the body and located Ford’s address, a detective went to the address, where he encountered Carson. Carson told the detective that he had not seen Ford since the night before. The detective added that there were several large stains in the room that looked like blood stains. The detective asked Carson if he could check to see if anyone else was in the house, and Carson consented. When the detective and Carson were walking down the hallway at the house, the detective asked Carson what was behind a closed door, and Carson responded that that “was Ford’s room.” The detective had not told Carson that Ford was dead.
