Jeremy Holland v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2019 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any Sep 30 2019, 10:00 am
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Joseph P. Hunter Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Muncie, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
Caryn N. Szyper
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Jeremy Holland, September 30, 2019
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
18A-CR-2155
v. Appeal from the Delaware Circuit
Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Thomas A.
Appellee-Plaintiff. Cannon, Jr., Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
18C05-1703-MR-3
Robb, Judge.
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Case Summary and Issues
[1] Following a jury trial, Jeremy Holland was convicted of murder, a felony;
aiding, inducing or causing criminal confinement, a Level 3 felony; and
unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony.
The trial court sentenced Holland to serve sixty-one years in the Indiana
Department of Correction (“DOC”). Holland appeals, raising the following
restated and expanded issues: (1) whether the trial court erred in admitting
evidence of Holland’s statements to law enforcement;1 and (2) whether the trial
court erred in vacating Holland’s criminal confinement conviction rather than
his felony murder conviction due to double jeopardy concerns. Concluding the
challenged evidence was merely cumulative, the admission of which was
harmless, and the trial court properly vacated Holland’s lesser conviction, we
affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
[2] On February 13, 2017, Terence Walker picked up Alonzo Williams from a
residence on Walnut Street in Muncie, Indiana, where Holland and Joshua
Erwin lived. Williams had his Tech 9 handgun with him, and they returned to
Walker’s house. At the house, Walker informed Williams that Jeffrey Brown
1
Holland raises the issue as error in denying a motion to suppress; however, Holland appeals the admission
of this evidence after a completed trial. Thus, the issue is more appropriately framed as whether the trial
court abused its discretion by admitting the evidence at trial. See Packer v. State, 800 N.E.2d 574, 578 (Ind. Ct.
App. 2003), trans. denied.
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had been involved in the murder of Joseph Johnson, Williams’ cousin, which
had occurred eight days prior. Walker then showed Williams a text message he
had received regarding the murder, which caused Williams to become “upset
and confused.” Transcript of Evidence, Volume 2 at 191. Williams “said he
needed to go make some money so he wanted to go sell some weed.” Id. at
192. Sometime between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., Williams left his Tech 9 at
Walker’s house, took Walker’s 9mm Ruger, borrowed Walker’s blue GMC
Yukon SUV, and drove back to Holland’s house.
[3] Around 11:00 p.m., Williams and Holland went to Brown’s house – where
Brown lived with his wife and children. Brown’s wife knew someone had
arrived at the house because she heard the loud noise of the SUV. Williams
and Brown conversed on the back porch of the house while Holland smoked a
cigarette in the kitchen. After Williams and Brown came back inside the house,
Brown told his wife, “I’ll be right back,” and the three men left. Id. at 241.
Around midnight, they went to Walker’s residence so Williams could pick up
his Tech 9. While Walker fixed one of the SUV’s headlights, Williams went
inside and retrieved the Tech 9. Walker testified that he observed Brown and
Holland in the SUV. At some point, Williams told Walker he and Holland
“had a lick to set up to get Mr. Brown out of town[,]” meaning they planned to
commit robbery. Id. at 197. When Williams and Holland left, the vehicle was
in good condition and the headlight had been fixed.
[4] Williams, Holland, and Brown, all armed with handguns, traveled to a house
on Andover Street where Steven McPherson, Shelli Good, and Curtis Atkinson
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lived. Williams supplied McPherson, Good, and Atkinson with some
methamphetamine he brought with him, and the four of them ingested the
substance. After, Williams asked to see Brown’s gun, grabbed it from Brown’s
hand, and removed the magazine. Williams then pointed the gun at Brown,
pushed him against the door, patted him down, and took methamphetamine
from Brown’s pocket. At the same time, Holland was standing on the other
side pointing his firearm at Brown.
[5] Williams told Brown he was going to kill him for murdering his cousin and
Brown said he was not involved and pleaded for his life. Williams then
instructed Good to get duct tape, so she grabbed a “black, cloth-like tape” from
her dresser and pulled a drawstring from a pair of sweatpants and handed it to
McPherson. Tr., Vol. 3 at 24. With his gun pointed at McPherson, Williams
ordered McPherson and Atkinson to tie Brown up. While Holland had his gun
pointed at Brown, Atkinson and McPherson used the string to tie Brown’s
hands behind his back. Williams then ordered McPherson to go outside, start
the SUV, and push the passenger seat closer to the dash. McPherson complied
and when he came back into the house, Williams and Holland still had Brown
at gunpoint up against the door. McPherson recalled Williams telling Brown
he was “just going to drive [him] out of town, let [him] go and give [him] a
pass.” Id. at 57. Williams and Holland escorted Brown out the back door, at
gunpoint, and drove away in the SUV.
[6] At 1:00 a.m. the next morning, Gary Greenlee, Jr. heard a “loud muffler [of a
vehicle]. . . going back and forth” near his home. Tr., Vol. 2 at 54. He
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observed an SUV pull into his parents’ property across the street, which he
described as a secluded wooded area. Later, he heard roughly seventeen
gunshots. Greenlee contacted his parents to notify them of the shots and that
the chain securing their property had been forced open; he also called 911.2
Greenlee’s father, Gary Greenlee, Sr., drove across his property and wrapped
the chain around a post and went back to bed.
[7] Holland and Williams returned to the Walnut Street house around 1:30 a.m.
Holland was calm but Williams appeared erratic, “a little hyped up” and
emotional. Tr., Vol. 3 at 84. Upon arrival, Williams possessed the Tech 9
firearm and asked Erwin to clean the gun, but he refused. Around 10:00 or
11:00 a.m., Williams returned Walker’s SUV in poor condition. Walker
testified, “My front grill was gone and my headlights were busted out. On each
fender . . ., it was dented in from a chain or something. . . . It had mud caked in
the door wells, the wheel wells and in my front passenger seat.” Tr., Vol. 2 at
200. Walker asked Holland about his 9mm Ruger, which Williams had taken
earlier, and Holland stated that they sold it and he was going to try to replace it.
Walker washed his SUV and took it to be repaired.
[8] Just after noon, Greenlee Sr. went to fix the broken chain on his property and
discovered the body of a partially covered man with his hands bound behind his
2
It is unclear from the record how law enforcement responded to this call.
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back, later identified as Brown. Greenlee Sr. called 911 immediately and police
arrived shortly thereafter.
[9] An autopsy report revealed Brown had been shot ten times, including seven
shots to his head and neck. At the scene, police recovered thirteen 9mm casings
and plastic pieces from a headlight assembly matching the SUV Williams had
borrowed. See Tr., Vol. 2 at 98-99; Tr., Vol. 3 at 111. Police discovered tire
and mud tracks matching Walker’s SUV, as well as blue paint on the chain
from Greenlee’s property. One 9mm casing was also recovered from Brown’s
hoodie during the autopsy. Cell phone records corroborated Holland’s
movements from the general vicinity of the Andover Street house to the crime
scene and then back toward his house on Walnut Street at the pertinent times.
Tr., Vol. 3 at 217, 230.
[10] The same day as the murder, Jaime Phillips, Holland’s girlfriend, had been
released from a hospital on the north side of Indianapolis and drove to
Holland’s house. Phillips testified that Holland admitted to her that he and
Williams borrowed Walker’s vehicle and planned on robbing Brown. Holland
confessed that he and Williams went to Brown’s house, then the three of them
went to a “junkie’s house on the north side of town” and Williams ordered the
“junkies” to tie Brown up. Id. at 176. Holland further admitted they put
Brown, tied up, in the backseat of the truck; Williams drove, and he was in the
passenger seat. Although Phillips stated Holland initially said he was not
involved in Brown’s murder, Phillips later told police that Holland admitted he
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was present when Williams shot Brown and that the incident “f**ked with his
mind[.]” Id. at 191.
[11] Police began investigating Brown’s murder. Officer Kurt Walthour of the
Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Muncie Police
Department (“MPD”), interviewed Walker, Erwin, Good, McPherson, and
Walker’s wife. On February 16, Holland was Mirandized, interviewed, and
subsequently released. As a result of the investigation, Williams and Holland
were identified as suspects in Brown’s murder.
[12] On March 4, Phillips called the police and alleged that two MPD investigators
had confined her and Holland in the Walnut Street house – where she had been
living with Holland and Erwin. MPD Officer Scott O’Dell responded and met
Phillips outside the house, along with another officer on the scene. Phillips
informed Officer O’Dell that Holland was inside, and, at the time, Officer
O’Dell was aware Holland was a suspect in Brown’s murder. 3 Officer O’Dell
asked Phillips for permission to go inside to evaluate the scene where the
alleged confinement occurred. Phillips consented. Officer O’Dell and Officer
Jeff Pease followed Phillips inside the house. Phillips showed the officers the
area she alleged the two investigators had confined them. At some point, the
officers reached a locked bedroom door and Officer O’Dell asked who was
inside to which Holland responded and asked the officers to slide a witness
3
Officer O’Dell testified that he partook in the murder investigation.
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statement under the door. Holland eventually identified himself to the officers.
Believing they had probable cause to arrest Holland at that time for felony
murder, criminal confinement, and possession of a handgun by a serious violent
felon, Officer Pease then kicked the door open. Holland was taken into custody
and transported to the police department.
[13] At the station, Officer Walthour advised Holland of his Miranda rights4 and
interviewed him. Holland admitted to being with Williams the night of the
murder but denied being part of the murder. See Exhibits, Volume 6 at 2.
Holland stated he did not see the murder take place. Following the interview,
Officer Walthour prepared a probable cause affidavit for Holland’s arrest
without a warrant and arrested Holland.
[14] Two days later, Officer Walthour received a text from Phillips indicating that
Holland wanted to speak with him again. Holland was in jail, so they met in
the interview room. Officer Walthour confirmed that Holland wished to speak
with him and advised him of his Miranda rights. Holland signed a waiver and
voluntarily spoke with Officer Walthour. Holland again denied involvement in
Brown’s murder. He stated that he did not kill anyone and never witnessed the
4
With respect to the advisement, Officer Walthour testified: “I have a sheet of paper, I do it the exact, same
way every time, read [the rights] off to him, ask if he understood them, asked if he could read and write the
English language, checked them off as I read each one of them to him, then I have him sign.” Tr., Vol. 2 at
22. This form was admitted into evidence at trial. See Exhibits, Volume 1 at 1.
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murder. Instead, Holland stated that Williams told him that he killed Brown.
See id.
[15] On March 10, the State charged Holland with the following: Count 1, felony
murder; Count 2, aiding, inducing, or causing criminal confinement, a Level 3
felony; and Count 3, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon,
a Level 4 felony. Holland filed a Motion to Suppress the statements he made to
law enforcement during his March 4 and 6 interviews. Holland argued his
statements should be suppressed because they were a product of an illegal
search and arrest and thus, violated the state and federal constitutions.
Following a suppression hearing, the trial court denied Holland’s motion.
[16] A jury trial was held during which Holland’s March 4 and 6 videotaped police
interviews were admitted and played for the jury over his continuing objection.
The jury found Holland guilty as charged. The trial court entered judgment of
conviction for felony murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious
violent felon. However, because kidnapping was the predicate felony for
Holland’s felony murder conviction, the trial court declined to enter judgment
of conviction for aiding, inducing, or causing criminal confinement, Count 2,
due to double jeopardy concerns. The parties were given ten days to submit
briefs on the double jeopardy issue. The State argued that a judgment of
conviction on Count 2 would not violate double jeopardy. Holland, on the
other hand, argued that his murder conviction should be vacated because “the
continuing confinement began first” and “[o]nly one conviction can be
entered[.]” Appellant’s Appendix, Volume 3 at 27-28. At the sentencing
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hearing, the trial court denied Holland’s motion to vacate the conviction on
Count 1 and declined to enter a judgment of conviction on Count 2 as it would
violate double jeopardy. The trial court’s sentencing order provided, in
pertinent part:
The Court finds that the Constitutional principle of double
jeopardy bars the Court from entering judgment of conviction for
Count 2, because to do so would impose multiple punishment for
a crime which consists of the same act as an element of the crime
of Felony Murder for which [Holland] was convicted. The
actual evidence at trial does not differentiate the confinement of
the victim separately from his removal by force from one place to
another, the kidnapping. The acts of holding the victim at
gunpoint, tying his hands behind his back, placing the victim in a
car and driving him out into the country where he was taken out
of the car, before being shot to death by [Holland’s] accomplice,
are the predicate facts of the underlying felony, kidnapping,
supporting the Felony Murder conviction. In this case, there is
more than a reasonable possibility that the evidentiary facts used
to establish the essential elements of kidnapping, in the Felony
Murder, Count 1, may also have been used to establish the
essential elements of “confining” of the challenged offense,
Count 2, Confinement. Therefore, the two (2) counts merge for
sentencing purposes.
Id. at 88-89. The trial court sentenced Holland to fifty-five years on Count 1
and six years on Count 3 to be served consecutively and executed in the DOC.
Holland now appeals.
Discussion and Decision
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I. Admission of Evidence
[17] Holland argues the trial court erred in admitting his statements to law
enforcement during his March 4 and 6 interviews because the statements were
the product of an illegal search and arrest. The State asserts that “[a]ny error . .
. was immaterial because Holland’s statements were merely cumulative given
the other evidence presented at trial that overwhelmingly proved Holland’s
guilt[.]” Brief of Appellee at 26.
[18] Our standard of review in this area is well-settled. The admission of evidence
falls within the sound discretion of the trial court, and we review the trial
court’s decision for an abuse of that discretion. Mack v. State, 23 N.E.3d 742,
750 (Ind. Ct. App. 2014), trans. denied. An abuse of discretion occurs when the
trial court’s decision is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and
circumstances before it. Morrison v. State, 824 N.E.2d 734, 739 (Ind. Ct. App.
2005), trans. denied. However, if a trial court abuses its discretion by admitting
challenged evidence, we will only reverse for that error if the error is
inconsistent with substantial justice or if a substantial right of the party is
affected. McVey v. State, 863 N.E.2d 434, 440 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007) (internal
quotations omitted), trans. denied. Any error caused by the admission of
evidence is harmless error for which we will not reverse a conviction if the
erroneously admitted evidence was cumulative of other evidence properly
admitted. Id.Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 18A-CR-2155 | September 30, 2019 Page 11 of 17
[19] Based on our review of the record, the evidence which Holland argues the trial
court erred in admitting into evidence was merely cumulative of other properly
admitted evidence demonstrating Holland’s guilt, including:
• Good, McPherson, and Atkinson all testified that Holland was in
possession of a gun at the Andover Street house and pointed his gun at
Brown while Brown was against the door and subsequently tied up. See
Tr., Vol. 3 at 23, 26, 33, 53-55, 148.
• Atkinson testified that while Holland held Brown at gunpoint, Holland
warned Brown several times not to move. Id. at 152.
• Williams and Holland escorted Brown, who was still restrained, out the
back door of the Andover Street house and into the SUV. Id. at 153.
Holland went with Williams, who drove the vehicle, and Brown.
• Walker testified that Williams and Holland returned to his house around
midnight and he observed Brown and Holland seated in the SUV. See
Tr., Vol. 2 at 196. Williams told Walker “they had a lick set up to get
Mr. Brown out of town.” Id. at 197. Walker testified his SUV was in
good condition when Holland, Williams, and Brown left, but it was
returned damaged and covered in mud. Id. at 197-200.
• Erwin testified that Williams and Holland returned to the Walnut Street
house around 1:30 a.m. on February 14. He stated, “[Holland] was more
calm and, like, any other day or night, and [Williams] was, you know a
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little erratic. . . . He was a little hyped up, like, upset.” Tr., Vol. 3 at 84.
Williams had the Tech 9 with him and asked Erwin to “take a look at it
and clean it and check it out.” Id. at 86.
• Phillips testified that Holland confessed to her the following: he and
Williams went to a house on the north side of town; Williams ordered
“three white junkies” to tie Brown up; and he and Williams put Brown in
the SUV. Id. at 176. Phillips also testified that she had previously told
police that Holland had told her Williams shot and killed Brown. See id.
at 178.
• Officer O’Dell testified that Phillips told him that Holland admitted to
her that he was present when Williams shot Brown and that the incident
“f**ked with his mind[.]” Id. at 191.
• Cell phone records and analysis revealed that on February 14 between
12:19 a.m. and 12:49 a.m., Holland was in the general vicinity of the
Andover Street house; between 12:59 a.m. and 1:25 a.m. Holland moved
toward the general area of Greenlee’s property; between 1:32 a.m. and
2:25 a.m. Holland moved toward the Walnut Street house. See Exhibits,
Vol. 5 at 38-45.
[20] Given the ample evidence in the record of Holland’s involvement in the crime,
as demonstrated above, Holland’s statements to law enforcement were merely
cumulative and even erroneous admission of the statements would not be
reversible error. McVey, 863 N.E.2d at 440; see also Wright v. State, 766 N.E.2d
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1223, 1232 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002) (finding the admission of cumulative evidence
in the form of defendant’s statement to police to be harmless error).
II. Double Jeopardy
[21] Holland argues the trial court erred by declining to vacate his conviction for
murder with the underlying kidnapping felony charge (Count 1) rather than his
Level 3 felony conviction for aiding, inducing, or causing criminal confinement
(Count 2) due to double jeopardy concerns. Specifically, he maintains that
“Count 2 was the more serious offense than the underlying kidnapping charge
[in Count 1 which] negated the underlying felony for the conviction on Count
1” and therefore, Count 1 should have been vacated. Appellant’s Brief at 18.
We disagree.
[22] Whether convictions violate double jeopardy is a question of law which we
review de novo. Grabarczyk v. State, 772 N.E.2d 428, 432 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002).
Article 1, section 14 of the Indiana Constitution provides, “No person shall be
put in jeopardy twice for the same offense.” “Indiana’s Double Jeopardy
Clause . . . prevent[s] the State from being able to proceed against a person
twice for the same criminal transgression.” Howell v. State, 97 N.E.3d 253, 263
(Ind. Ct. App. 2018) (quotation omitted), trans. denied. As our supreme court
has explained, “two or more offenses are the ‘same offense’ . . . if, with respect
to either the statutory elements of the challenged crimes or the actual evidence
used to convict, the essential elements of one challenged offense also establish
the essential elements of another challenged offense.” Richardson v. State, 717
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N.E.2d 32, 49 (Ind. 1999) (emphasis in original). When both convictions
cannot stand, the conviction with the less severe penal consequences should be
vacated. Id. at 55.
[23] Here, the trial court stated the actual evidence presented at trial could establish
the elements of kidnapping5 and criminal confinement6:
The acts of holding the victim at gunpoint, tying his hands
behind his back, placing the victim in a car and driving him out
into the country where he was taken out of the car, before being
shot to death by [Holland’s] accomplice, are the predicate facts of
the underlying felony, kidnapping, supporting the Felony Murder
conviction. In this case, there is more than a reasonable
possibility that the evidentiary facts used to establish the essential
elements of kidnapping, in the Felony Murder, Count 1, may
also have been used to establish the essential elements of
“confining” of the challenged offense, Count 2, Confinement.
Therefore, the two (2) counts merge for sentencing purposes.
Appellant’s App., Vol. 3 at 89.
[24] Because there was a reasonable possibility the same evidence established the
elements of kidnapping, the predicate felony proving felony murder, and also
established the elements of criminal confinement, the trial court correctly
5
“A person who knowingly or intentionally removes another person, by fraud, enticement, force, or threat of
force, from one place to another commits kidnapping.” Ind. Code § 35-42-3-2(a) (2014).
6
“A person who knowingly or intentionally confines another person without the other person’s consent
commits criminal confinement. . . . [The offense is] a Level 3 felony if it . . . is committed while armed with
a deadly weapon; . . . results in serious bodily injury to a person other than the confining person[.]” Ind.
Code § 35-42-3-3(a), (b)(2)(A), (B) (2014).
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declined to enter judgment of conviction and sentence on both felony murder
and criminal confinement.7 Holland appears to argue that because kidnapping,
the predicate felony supporting his felony murder conviction, carries a less
severe consequence than his criminal confinement conviction, his murder
conviction should have been vacated. However, Holland was convicted of
felony murder and criminal confinement, not kidnapping and criminal
confinement. Therefore, the trial court had to determine, as between felony
murder and criminal confinement, which conviction should be vacated to avoid
a double jeopardy violation. When two convictions cannot stand, the lesser
conviction, that is “the conviction with the less severe penal consequences[,]”
should be vacated. Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 55. There is no question that
Holland’s criminal confinement conviction carries a lesser sentence, a sixteen
year maximum sentence, than his felony murder conviction, which carries a
sixty-five year maximum sentence. See Ind. Code § 35-50-2-5(b); Ind. Code §
35-50-2-3(a). As such, the trial court properly vacated Holland’s criminal
confinement conviction – the lesser conviction – due to double jeopardy
concerns. Accordingly, we find no error.
7
In its appellate brief, the State maintains the trial court did not err in vacating Count 2 rather than Count 1
and thus, implicitly concedes there is a double jeopardy issue.
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Conclusion
[25] For the reasons set forth above, we conclude Holland’s statements were merely
cumulative of other properly admitted evidence at trial, the admission of which
was harmless and does not constitute reversible error. We also conclude that
the trial court properly vacated Holland’s lesser conviction of criminal
confinement rather than his felony murder conviction due to double jeopardy
concerns. Accordingly, we affirm.
[26] Affirmed.
Mathias, J., and Pyle, J., concur.
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