Joseph Mitchell was convicted of malice murder, theft by taking and concealing the death of another arising out of the strangulation death of Kenneth Spellman. He appeals from the denial of his motion for new trial,1 challenging the sufficiency of the evidence and the effectiveness of trial counsel. Finding no error, we affirm. 1. The jury was authorized to find from the evidence adduced that when appellant and Jaron Hall encountered the victim at Nikki Deloach’s house, appellant volunteered to kill the victim after Hall claimed that the victim’s brother was responsible for the death of Hall’s cousin several years earlier.2 After Hall tricked the victim into standing up, appellant slipped an electric extension cord around the victim’s throat and began strangling him. A struggle ensued, during which Hall punched the victim and appellant used a choke hold to strangle the victim. Hall left the room while the victim was still alive. Deloach, hearing the noise from the fight, entered the room to find the victim, face down and completely limp, on top of appellant, who had his arms around the victim in a holding position. The victim did not respond when Deloach ordered the men to leave. At that time appellant took control and directed Hall, Deloach and another visitor, Antwan Nelson, to help him get rid of the body, threatening Deloach and her family if she said anything. The men got the victim’s car keys, tied the body, placed it in 32-gallon trash bags and then carried it out to the victim’s car and placed it in the trunk. They then drove into woods and left the body after removing the trash bags, cords and most of the victim’s clothing. The men later abandoned the car after removing items and wiping down the interior. The victim’s body was located the evening of January 29, already moderately decomposed and damaged by insects; the medical examiner testified that the victim died of homicidal asphyxia consistent with neck compression.
This evidence was sufficient to enable a rational trier of fact to find appellant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the charged crimes. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U.S. 307 99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560 1979. Contrary to appellant’s argument, the testimony of Hall, appellant’s accomplice, was corroborated by witnesses Deloach and Nelson. The credibility of those witnesses was for the jury to decide, Baines v. State , 276 Ga.117 2 575 SE2d 495 2003, as was the sufficiency of the corroborating evidence. White v. State , 255 Ga. 210, 214 8 336 SE2d 777 1985. See also OCGA § 24-4-8. The jury did not have to find that the corroborating evidence was itself sufficient to support the verdict, or that that evidence matched the testimony of the accomplice in every detail. Slight evidence identifying appellant as a participant in the criminal act was sufficient corroboration. Bush v. State , 267 Ga. 877, 878-879 485 SE2d 466 1997. Furthermore, appellant’s conduct before, during, and after the fatal strangulation provided ample evidence to support appellant’s guilt as a party to the malice murder and other crimes. See Hewitt v. State , 277 Ga. 327 1 a 588 SE2d 722 2003; OCGA § § 16-2-20 b 3 and 4.
