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Bell v. State

Defendant's admissions supported a finding that he tried to conceal the victim's traumatic death.

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A Brooks County jury convicted Fred Alton Bell of concealing the death of another, OCGA § 16-10-31.1 The jury acquitted Bell of murder, and the trial court declared a mistrial as to the remaining charges of felony murder and aggravated assault after the jury deadlocked on those counts. Bell appeals, contending the evidence was insufficient. We disagree and affirm. When a criminal defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his or her conviction, “the relevant question is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Citation and emphasis omitted. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U. S. 307, 319 99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560 1979. The jury, not this Court, resolves conflicts in the testimony, weighs the evidence, and draws reasonable inferences from the evidence. Id. “As long as there is some competent evidence, even though contradicted, to support each fact necessary to make out the State’s case, the jury’s verdict will be upheld.” Citation and punctuation omitted. Miller v. State , 273 Ga. 831, 832 546 SE2d 524 2001.

Viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the evidence showed the following facts. The victim was last seen on May 22, 2001. The next day, the victim’s body was discovered in a remote field. A medical examiner determined the cause of death to be massive blunt trauma to the victim’s head. The day the victim’s body was discovered, Bell’s fiance returned from a two-day trip out of town and discovered Bell had packed his belongings, sold his pickup truck, couch and television. Bell announced he was going to Florida and left alone the next day with a one-way bus ticket.

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