William E. Eakes, III was indicted by the Davidson County Grand Jury for first degree felony murder and second degree murder. A jury convicted him on both counts, but the trial court merged the second degree murder conviction into the felony murder conviction, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Eakes appealed, claiming insufficient evidence supported the convictions. The Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee found that there was ample evidence to uphold the convictions for both felony and second degree murder, affirming the trial court's judgment.
Factual evidence presented at trial included testimony from Myra Christman, the victim’s mother, who described the victim's physical characteristics and details of his last evening before disappearance on May 22, 1998. She recounted giving the victim $175 before he left home and noted the clothing and jewelry he wore at that time. After the victim did not return home, his mother attempted to contact him, but he was found later without his belongings, including his wallet, jewelry, and the cash. Christman confirmed the victim had not been employed since July 1997 but contributed to household expenses.
The victim had saved money from working since the eleventh grade and intended to attend college, supported by a fund set up by Christman when he was young. He owned a car and paid for his own gas, and despite Christman's worries about the victim, she did not report his disappearance to the police until after he was missing for two days. The police visited her home following the victim's disappearance. Under oath, Christman did not provide an itemized list of the victim's belongings. She mentioned that the victim had received a settlement from a 1997 car accident. During the relevant period, the only withdrawal from the victim's account was $300.
Thomas Ward, the victim's stepfather, recounted that on May 22, 1998, he was at home with the victim and others when the victim left around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. wearing blue shorts and a light-striped shirt. He noted that the victim typically wore jewelry but could not confirm if he was wearing any that night.
Tracy Rosser, a general manager at a local Motel 6, recalled an incident on the evening of May 22, 1998, when she noticed a disturbance in room 143. After knocking and identifying herself, a man named Jerry opened the door slightly and claimed they were having "rough sex." Rosser observed that the room was dark despite a light being on outside, and the man appeared sweaty and was shirtless. She warned him about the hotel’s policies against disturbances, to which he assured her everything was fine.
Rosser testified that she did not observe anyone else in room 143, noting that a man adjusted the shades with his left hand while his right hand remained behind the door. After leaving the room, she informed the front desk to alert her of any disturbances. At approximately 2:30 a.m., she was notified about guests requesting a new key, and she instructed the front desk to verify their identification before issuing keys. Room 143 was registered to Jerry Barnes, who had paid for the room in cash. Rosser confirmed that identification is required for check-in and noted that she had inspected the room earlier, finding the curtains properly hung and the room recently renovated.
On May 23, 1998, a housekeeper named George reported missing bedding and blood on the wall in room 143. Rosser found blood on the wall, carpet, and phone upon inspecting the room, and she noted the presence of empty beer bottles and cigarette butts. After locking the door, she called the police. Rosser identified Jerry Barnes as the man from room 143 and mentioned that she had received no complaints about the room. During her testimony, she also noted some damaged hooks on the drapes and indicated her suspicion of a party in the room.
Detective Johnny Lawrence, from the Homicide Unit, arrived at the scene at approximately 1:50 p.m. after being dispatched. He observed blood on various surfaces and noted that no linens were present on the beds. He found it peculiar that cigarette butts on the floor did not have blood on them, suggesting they were placed there after the blood was present. By the time he arrived, Officer Campbell had already gathered information about a suspect, Jerry Barnes, including his name, address, and the license plate number of his truck. Lawrence later saw a green truck with a Tennessee Titans decal at Barnes’s residence.
Lawrence reported that a truck's license plate matched the registration from the Motel 6, where he noted dried blood on the driver’s door, seat, and emergency flasher button. After securing the vehicle, he spoke with Jerry Barnes's wife, who claimed Barnes had gone to buy beer and informed Lawrence that the Defendant was with him. She led Lawrence to a washing machine, revealing freshly laundered clothes, including blood-stained sweat pants and a black tee shirt with a sports logo. The truck, belonging to Tennessee Valley Exterminating, was photographed and processed at a crime lab, with Officer Shea handling it on May 29, 1998. Lawrence later returned to the Barnes residence but got no response, then went to the Defendant's home, having previously issued a BOLO for both men.
On May 24, 1998, officers found Barnes's vehicle at a Super 8 Motel, where the front desk confirmed the Defendant had rented room 349. As officers approached, Barnes and the Defendant exited, with Barnes stating he could lead police to the victim. He guided them to a salvage yard where they discovered a Nissan Sentra hidden off the road, which contained a deceased victim in the trunk and exhibited significant blood near the wheel well. During cross-examination, Lawrence acknowledged that furniture in the Motel 6 room had been moved for processing and that blood testing had not been performed. A piece of jewelry and possible drug paraphernalia were found at the crime scene, while Barnes displayed a contusion on his left thumb. Lawrence confirmed that the Defendant had not been taken to a hospital for injuries and noted evidence was collected from multiple locations in south Nashville.
Edward Michael Shea, a crime scene investigator for the Metropolitan Police Department, examined a 1996 Isuzu truck and found blood stains in the front seat and near the door panel, both of which tested positive for blood. He did not lift fingerprints or test the blood's origin. Steve Stone, also from the police department, collected items from Jerry Barnes's home and photographed blood stains on Barnes's truck. At the Motel 6, Stone gathered various items including a blood-stained mattress pad, blood-stained carpet samples, jewelry, a blood-stained telephone cord, and numerous cigarette butts, while also dusting for fingerprints in the room. He noted signs of a struggle but did not find a specific piece of jewelry.
Wayne Hughes, another officer, responded to a call at the Super 8 Motel and documented a blue Corsica before locating the victim’s white Nissan Sentra parked in a field, from which he collected a Budweiser beer bottle for testing. Officer Robert Collins conducted an article search at Hillcrest United Methodist Church, where he found an ax in a wooded area. Tim Matthews, a crime scene investigator, recovered evidence from a dumpster behind Fairlane Square, including several blood-stained cloth items and a plastic bag containing a gray tee-shirt, pillowcase, bed sheet, blue jeans, and a washcloth. He also investigated a second dumpster nearby, collecting additional blood-soaked items including a white pillow, blue blanket, and multi-colored bedspread.
Matthews testified about his visit to an area behind Hillcrest Methodist Church where he photographed a location and an ax labeled 'Scout Felling Ax' discovered by a canine unit, which he sent for testing. During cross-examination, he stated that Detective Tim Mason was present at the first dumpster and admitted he could not identify the owner of jeans found in a second dumpster, all of which appeared to have blood. He noted that blood could transfer between clothing items.
Charles Blackwood, Jr. from the Metropolitan Police Department's Forensics and Firearms Unit examined the ax and confirmed the presence of blood but could not lift any fingerprints from it. He also processed a Nissan Sentra where the victim was found, noting a liquid had been poured on the vehicle, which had run off. Blackwood lifted several latent fingerprints and turned them over for testing. Upon opening the trunk, he found a body, took photographs, and processed the trunk for fingerprints, noting that the victim's clothing showed bleaching, particularly on the front, and that the victim was missing jewelry, shoes, and socks, with a clean appearance on his feet and an injury on his right index finger.
Blackwood pointed out blood on the Sentra and suggested that someone may have attempted to clean the car. He found no usable fingerprints on the trunk's exterior and noted the absence of identification items on the victim. Lorita Marsh, a Police Identification Analyst, identified fingerprints from the crime scene, confirming that prints lifted from the Sentra belonged to Jerry Wayne Barnes, as well as a print from a beer can found at a Motel 6.
During cross-examination, Marsh indicated that fingerprint cards showed Officers Blackwood and Stone lifted the prints she analyzed. Detective Tim Mason, a member of the murder squad in the Homicide Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, detailed his involvement in the case beginning May 24, 1998, after being called to the Super 8 Motel. Upon arrival, he joined Detective Johnny Lawrence and patrol officers, eventually arresting two suspects. Mason recounted securing Room 349, where the suspects exited just as they were about to enter. He interviewed the Defendant, who denied involvement, while co-suspect Jerry Barnes acknowledged police presence and offered to lead them to the victim's body.
Mason described leading officers to a wooded area off Almaville Road, where they discovered a vehicle with apparent blood in the trunk. The Defendant, approximately 5'11" and weighing about 195 pounds, waived his Miranda rights and provided a statement, which was videotaped and admitted as evidence. He claimed to have been in Room 143 of the Motel 6, where the victim was bringing rock cocaine to him and Barnes. The Defendant described a fight between Barnes and the victim, stating he got involved when Barnes asked for help, initially hitting the victim with a telephone and later using an ax.
Mason noted that the Defendant later admitted to assisting in choking the victim and discarding the victim's car tag. The Defendant's statement, played for the jury, included details about the fight and how Barnes received crack cocaine from the victim, who allegedly attempted to rob him, leading to the violent confrontation.
The Defendant testified that he assisted Barnes in choking the victim and noted that Barnes was shirtless when the hotel manager arrived. After the incident, the Defendant purchased sweatpants and a shirt from Wal-Mart and drove Barnes's truck while Barnes drove the victim's car to Rutherford County, later returning Barnes home. The Defendant disposed of the victim's license plate but could not recall the exact location. He provided information on the location of an ax, clothing, and bedding related to the crime.
Dr. William Hughes's deposition was introduced, detailing Barnes's thumb injury sustained two days prior to May 24, 1998. Dr. Hughes, unable to attend trial, reported that Barnes's injury, characterized by swelling, bruising, and teeth marks, had become infected and would have caused significant pain, although it did not result in fractures or excessive bleeding.
Dr. Bruce Philip Levy, a forensic pathologist, performed an autopsy on the victim, a 21-year-old male pronounced dead on May 24, 1998. He concluded the cause of death was manual strangulation, evidenced by hemorrhages in the neck muscles and petechial hemorrhages in the eyes. Additionally, Dr. Levy identified blunt impact injuries to the head and torso, including various lacerations and bruises. By the time of examination, the body exhibited signs of decomposition, indicating it had been deceased long enough for post-mortem changes to occur, along with pulmonary vascular congestion noted as a common occurrence.
Dr. Levy testified that the victim exhibited aortic atherosclerosis and presented autopsy photographs to the jury, which were admitted as evidence. The victim was fully clothed in a gray shirt, blue denim shorts, and two pairs of green undershorts, with no visible holes or defects in the clothing. Notable injuries included a three-quarter inch laceration on the right hand, indicative of a defensive wound, and abrasions on both knees. Two lacerations were found on the back of the victim's head, with no external injuries to the neck, which Dr. Levy associated with strangulation. Superficial injuries were noted on the inside of the lower lip, likely caused by impact or a fall. The victim also had a laceration on the forehead and bruising around the left eye and cheek. Toxicology results revealed marijuana, cocaine metabolites, and a small amount of alcohol in the victim’s system, suggesting recent drug use.
Dr. Levy determined the cause of death to be manual strangulation, which leads to oxygen deprivation and subsequent brain damage. He explained that strangulation primarily obstructs blood flow through the arteries, leading to unconsciousness within 30 to 60 seconds and death after approximately four minutes of blood flow blockage. Signs of a struggle were evident on the victim's body, with the lacerations consistent with blunt force trauma. Despite the injuries to the head, Dr. Levy confirmed there were no skull fractures or brain injuries, and acknowledged that various solid objects could have caused the head lacerations.
The victim likely suffered strangulation after sustaining facial injuries, as indicated by the body's reaction and subsequent swelling. Dr. Levy confirmed there were no injuries to the right side of the victim's face and acknowledged the absence of marijuana testing in the victim's blood. He explained that cocaine can enhance behavioral effects, elevate blood pressure, and increase heart rate, potentially resulting in greater blood loss. Dr. Levy also noted that the victim would have experienced a surge of adrenaline during a fight, which, combined with the effects of cocaine and physical exertion, could shorten the time before irreversible brain damage and death occurred. He suggested the possibility of the victim having a seizure during strangulation.
Lisa Barnes, the Defendant's aunt, testified about her family dynamics, stating her husband (the Defendant's uncle) was in jail at the time of the trial, and that the Defendant was 20 years old. She described her employment and her husband’s job, noting their financial situation, including savings accounts and checking account balances. Lisa also acknowledged her husband's drug issues, detailing his behavior when under the influence.
On the night of May 22, 1998, Lisa testified that her husband returned home late and drove a white car. The next morning, they ran errands together and picked up the Defendant before returning to her house. She recounted interactions with law enforcement, including providing clothing items to Detective Johnny Lawrence after he inquired about her husband's attire the previous day. Lisa admitted to informing her husband of the police's interest in him and mentioned spending the night at a friend’s house.
Lisa Barnes testified on cross-examination about her financial accounts, indicating her name was solely listed on them, while her husband’s name was absent. She confirmed that she exclusively managed the checking account, writing checks and holding the only bank card. Barnes revealed that she and her husband had filed for bankruptcy four months before her father's death. She expressed her refusal to allow her husband home if he was under the influence of drugs and stated she would not give him money if she suspected he would use it for drugs.
Barnes recounted her husband’s history of pawning personal items for drug money and described him as being on a "cocaine binge" for three to four days leading up to the murder weekend. She noted that when her husband returned home early Saturday morning, he appeared "drugged out" and had changed clothes. She followed him to the Apollo Apartments in her blue Corsica, where she observed him park a white Nissan and then took him home, after which he left in her car.
The account continued with details of her husband’s erratic behavior upon returning home, including paranoia and excessive sweating due to crack cocaine use. Barnes witnessed her husband leave with the Defendant around 3:15 a.m. in an Impala belonging to her brother. He later returned in his green company truck before driving her and their son to purchase laundry detergent. She acknowledged having bleach and chlorine at home for pool maintenance. After dropping her and her son off, her husband left and she did not hear from him again until police arrived at her home Sunday morning. Barnes admitted she did not inform the police of the previous night’s events, but her friend later contacted them. She clarified that while her husband did not change clothes when he returned in the early hours, he did change before their trip to the store. On re-direct examination, she reiterated her practice of not giving her husband money while he was under the influence, noting he still went to work during those times and that she had seen the white Nissan at her house multiple times.
Lisa Barnes testified about past arguments with her husband regarding a white car at her house and recounted an incident where she picked up her husband and the Defendant, both of whom were unable to drive due to her husband's alcohol influence and the Defendant lacking a driver's license. This pickup occurred near Hillcrest United Methodist Church. Dr. Charles Warren Harlan, a physician specializing in pathology, testified regarding the autopsy of the victim, indicating that the victim was under the influence of cocaine at the time of death, with the medical examiner concluding that manual strangulation was the cause. Dr. Harlan explained cocaine's dual role as a stimulant and depressant, its effects on nerve transmission and cardiac function, and how adrenaline also stimulates the heart. He noted that physical, mental, or emotional stress could elevate adrenaline levels, impacting the body’s response during strangulation. Dr. Harlan estimated that manual strangulation typically takes between thirty seconds and a few minutes to be fatal, with the victim's cocaine use and adrenaline possibly reducing this time. He suggested that the strangulation duration in this case was likely closer to thirty seconds and might have been less. Additionally, he indicated that the victim could have experienced cardiac arrhythmia due to the strangulation, blood loss, or cocaine use, and that the victim's injuries suggested a struggle. On cross-examination, Dr. Harlan acknowledged not being present during the autopsy and mentioned having reviewed prior photographic evidence.
Dr. Harlan testified that his conclusions regarding the victim's death were based on limited evidence, including Dr. Levy's deposition, the autopsy report, and two photographs. He noted that the photographs did not reveal the whites or linings of the victim's eyes and confirmed that he accepted the cause of death as manual strangulation. Dr. Harlan also mentioned that he had previously been the medical examiner for Davidson County but left due to "irreconcilable differences."
The Defendant contests the sufficiency of evidence for convictions of first-degree felony murder and second-degree murder, asserting that the prosecution did not meet its burden. The appellate court's review focuses on whether a rational juror could find the essential elements of the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt, considering all evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution. The court cannot re-evaluate evidence or substitute its inferences for those of the jury, as credibility and weight of evidence are determined by the trier of fact.
In relation to felony murder, the Defendant argues that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the killing was committed during the commission of a robbery. First-degree felony murder is defined as a killing occurring during the perpetration of specified felonies, including robbery. The court must determine if the killing was done in furtherance of the robbery, as required by the felony murder statute, emphasizing that the act must be directly connected to the felony.
A killing is considered to occur "in the perpetration of" a felony if it has a close connection to the felony, as established in Tennessee law. Courts evaluate factors such as time, place, and causation to determine this connection. The felony-murder doctrine requires that the intent to commit the underlying felony exists either prior to or concurrently with the act of killing; a subsequent intent does not satisfy this requirement. The jury decides if such intent existed based on the circumstances surrounding the case.
In this case, evidence supported a felony murder conviction. The victim left home wearing valuable items and had cash shortly before an altercation occurred at a Motel 6 involving the defendant and another individual. Testimony indicated that the altercation happened just 45 minutes after the victim left home. The defendant admitted in a recorded statement to assisting in the victim’s strangulation. Following the murder, the victim's body was discovered without personal items, indicating a robbery motive.
The victim’s mother testified that her son’s jewelry, wallet, and shoes were missing from his body. The Defendant argued that there was insufficient evidence to support a felony murder conviction, as there was no proof he stole the victim’s possessions. While the victim’s brother noted missing items, no evidence linked the Defendant to these items, and searches of his home and property yielded nothing. The court referenced a similar case, State v. Jimmy Alexander, but highlighted key differences: the Defendant was indicted for felony murder during a robbery attempt. The victim left home wearing jewelry and carrying a wallet with $175 shortly before being violently attacked by the Defendant. The Defendant admitted to disposing of the body, and it was unlikely that anyone other than him or his accomplice could have stolen the victim’s belongings after the murder. The condition of the victim’s clothing and the discovery of a piece of jewelry at a motel suggested an attempted robbery. The jury could reasonably infer that the Defendant and his accomplice killed the victim to steal his possessions, supporting the felony murder charge.
Second degree murder is defined in Tennessee as a knowing killing, which occurs when a person is aware their conduct is likely to result in death. In this case, once homicide is established, it is presumed to be second degree murder unless the prosecution proves premeditation for first degree murder. The trial presented sufficient evidence for a conviction of second degree murder, including testimony from Tracy Rosser, the Motel 6 manager, who noted suspicious behavior from Jerry Barnes, and Detective Johnny Lawrence, who found blood and missing linens in the motel room. Evidence indicated that the victim was found deceased in the trunk of a car linked to Barnes and the Defendant. Additionally, the Defendant provided a videotaped statement detailing his involvement in a fight that led to the victim's death, during which he aided Barnes in attacking the victim. This evidence supports the jury's conclusion that the Defendant was aware his actions could result in death. The trial court's judgment is affirmed.
