Patterson v. State

Any error in admitting evidence that the defendant attempted to stab another inmate with a homemade knife while in prison was harmless given the overwhelming evidence that he stabbed the elderly victim to death and took her social security money.

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The appellant, Jerry Patterson, appeals from his convictions for malice murder and burglary.1 On appeal, he contends that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions; that the trial court erred in admitting hearsay testimony; and that the trial court erred in admitting similar crimes evidence. For the reasons that follow, we affirm Patterson’s convictions. 1. The victim, 86-year-old Gladys Windsor, lived by herself in a trailer park. On Monday morning, May 29, 2000, her son, William Windsor found her dead in her mobile home. A medical examiner determined that Ms. Windsor died from several stab wounds from a knife. Two investigating officers testified that William Windsor told them that his mother was in good health; that she generally kept large sums of cash in a bank envelope in her purse; and that she should have had about $802 from her Social Security check on the day she died. The officers found neither the victim’s purse nor any money in her mobile home. William Windsor died of a heart attack before trial and thus was unable to testify. William’s wife, however, testified that Gladys Windsor collected $802 from Social Security each month. She also testified that William would take her to the bank to cash her Social Security check and that he had taken Gladys Windsor to the bank on the Friday before she was found dead.

On May 28, 2000, Patterson was living with his brother and his brother’s girlfriend, Trina Watkins. As of that date, Patterson had been living his brother and Ms. Watkins for several weeks. Ms. Watkins testified that she had never seen Patterson with any money. She also added that she, Patterson, and Patterson’s brother needed money for a hotel room because the water in Ms. Watkins’s home had been turned off. On the morning of Sunday, May 28, 2000, Patterson left Ms. Watkins’s home, stating that he was going to find some work to earn some money for them.

Patterson v. State

Any error in admitting evidence that the defendant attempted to stab another inmate with a homemade knife while in prison was harmless given the overwhelming evidence that he stabbed the elderly victim to death and took her social security money.

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