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Valentine v. State

Evidence that a bullet from defendant's 9mm handgun killed the victim, the defendant's admission to his cousin that he was planning to rob someone and his admission to the same cousin that he was involved in the incident in question and that ' "something went wrong" ' with the plan and ' "someone got shot" ' sufficiently corroborated the defendant's videotaped confession.

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Ronnell Valentine was indicted on several counts including felony murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, aggravated assault, and burglary. A jury found him guilty only of burglary. Following the denial of his motion for new trial, Valentine appeals, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, the admission of his confession, and his sentence of 20 years to serve. We find no error and affirm.1 Construed in favor of the verdict, the evidence showed that Valentine and Willie Liddell accosted the victim at a neighborhood store. Liddell told Valentine that the victim knew a “big time” drug dealer who had a large amount of money in his home. Valentine and Liddell planned to use the victim to get into the drug dealer’s home in order to rob him. Valentine carried a 9mm weapon and Liddell carried a .45 caliber weapon. Once at the home, Liddell stood at the door with the victim at gunpoint. When the victim knocked on the door, a female occupant opened the door. She observed the victim at the door with Liddell behind him with a gun. When asked if she saw any other persons outside the door, she stated that she thought she saw a shadow, but was not sure.

Once inside the home, the victim and Liddell struggled for Liddell’s gun. The female occupant ran out of the home. At some time during the struggle, at least three shots were fired with one of the three hitting Liddell in the arm, and a second hitting the victim in the arm and chest, killing him. The firearms examiner testified that the bullet that killed the victim came from Valentine’s 9mm pistol, which was later found at his girlfriend’s house. A .45 caliber pistol and a .45 Auto shell casing were found at the scene.

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