Michael Willard Buttram was convicted of two counts of malice murder, burglary, and theft by taking an automobile in connection with the fatal shootings of Tara Cantrell and her mother, Millie Cantrell. The State sought the death penalty, but in the bifurcated trial the jury, after finding the presence of two statutory aggravating circumstances, recommended a sentence of life without parole.1 Buttram appeals from denial of his amended motion for new trial. Finding no error, we affirm. 1. Buttram and Tara had a tumultuous relationship that Tara ended one month before the murders. On January 19, 1999, the police arrested Buttram for stalking and harassing Tara and her then boyfriend, Jason Tally, after the break-up. Following Buttram’s arrest, Tara informed Buttram that she was pregnant, and the couple briefly reunited until the relationship finally ended when Buttram questioned the child’s paternity. On March 8, 1999, Buttram used an unauthorized copy of Millie’s house key to gain entry into the Cantrell home while Tara was alone in the residence. Buttram threatened Tara, and Tara managed to call her mother for assistance. By the time Millie arrived, Buttram had departed from the home, and Millie contacted the police. After the police arrived to investigate, they overheard Buttram leave numerous phone messages begging Tara to speak with him. Shortly after the police left the residence to look for Buttram, a neighbor observed Buttram enter the house through the back door. The neighbor heard several gunshots and then saw Buttram “come flying out the door” and drive away in Tara’s car. The medical examiner testified that Tara was shot twice in her abdomen and once in the head. Millie sustained five gunshot wounds to the hand, neck, back and head, all while she was on the phone with 911. Buttram fled to Texas where he ultimately surrendered to the Texas authorities.
We find that the evidence presented was sufficient to enable a rational trier of fact to find Buttram guilty of the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U.S. 307 99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560 1979; Tarver v. State , 278 Ga. 358, 361 5 602 SE2d 627 2004 evidence sufficient to find existence of aggravating circumstances under OCGA § 17-10-30 b.
