Toxicology Report Archives

F-2017-1147

Post author:Staff
Post published:December 12, 2019
Post category:F

In OCCA case No. F-2017-1147, Michael Andrew Nordbye appealed his conviction for Murder in the First Degree (Child Abuse). In an unpublished decision, the court decided to uphold the conviction, concluding that sufficient evidence supported the jury’s verdict. One judge dissented. Michael Andrew Nordbye was found guilty of killing a four-year-old girl named J.H. The jury sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and he was also fined $1,000. The case involved disturbing evidence of injuries on J.H.'s body, including bruises and cigarette burns, which suggested she had been abused before her tragic death. On November 15, 2015, J.H. was brought to the hospital but was unresponsive and cold. Doctors tried to save her, but she was declared dead shortly after arriving. The medical examiner determined that J.H. had blunt force injuries and several cigarette burns. They believed these injuries were inflicted shortly before her death. Evidence showed that Nordbye was with J.H. during the hours leading up to her death but his account of the events was inconsistent. During the trial, it was revealed that he had taken her to various places and returned home, where J.H. was later found unresponsive. Witnesses testified about the day of J.H.'s death, including retrospective video surveillance and testimonies that placed Nordbye with J.H. in different locations. The jury was presented with medical evidence indicating the cause of death was homicide due to blunt force trauma, compounded by a possible drug overdose. Despite Nordbye's claims, the jury found him guilty based on the compelling evidence that linked him to the injuries and the timeline leading up to J.H.'s death. Several claims made by Nordbye about improper legal proceedings were dismissed by the court, including issues concerning jury instructions and witness testimonies that were not allowed. The court ultimately found that the trial had been conducted fairly and that the evidence sufficiently demonstrated that Nordbye was guilty of the charges.

F-2017-710

Post author:Staff
Post published:June 13, 2019
Post category:F

In OCCA case No. F-2017-710, Alex Moore appealed his conviction for Murder in the First Degree. In a published decision, the court decided to affirm his conviction. One judge dissented. Alex Moore was accused of killing his cellmate, Todd Bush, in a prison. On the evening of March 6, 2014, while they were locked in their cell, an officer checked on them but did not enter the cell. Later, another officer found Moore with Bush on the floor and called for medical help. Despite efforts from medical staff, Bush was pronounced dead at the hospital. Moore claimed Bush had fallen while drinking, but the investigation revealed signs of a struggle and injuries that suggested he had been attacked. The medical examiner determined that Bush died from strangulation and that the injuries were not consistent with a fall. During the trial, the prosecution introduced evidence of Moore's previous assaults on other inmates as part of their case, arguing that these incidents showed he had a pattern of violent behavior. The defense argued that Bush's death could have been accidental. The trial court allowed photographs of the victim's injuries to be presented as evidence, despite Moore's objection that they were too gruesome. The court ruled that these images were relevant to the evidence and helped to prove how Bush died. Moore also raised concerns about the prosecution's statements during jury selection and whether he had been informed of his right to testify. The court ruled that the prosecutor's comments were within proper bounds and that there was no requirement for a formal acknowledgment of Moore's right to testify. Overall, the appeals court found no legal errors significant enough to reverse the trial court's decision, affirming Moore's conviction for murder.

F-2017-639

Post author:Staff
Post published:April 25, 2019
Post category:F

In OCCA case No. F-2017-639, Christopher Lantz Wildman appealed his conviction for First Degree Manslaughter. In a published decision, the court decided that his conviction would be upheld. One judge dissented. Christopher Wildman was found guilty by a jury of killing someone and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was awarded credit for the time he served before the trial. Wildman argued several points in his appeal, claiming that his rights were violated during the trial. First, he said the evidence didn’t prove he wasn’t acting in self-defense, which is an important legal argument in these cases. He believed that if the evidence did not convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted with wrongful intent, he should not have been convicted. However, the court found that there was enough evidence suggesting he did not act in self-defense. Wildman also claimed that his trial was unfair because some evidence showed bad character, and that the trial court did not properly instruct the jury on how to consider that evidence. The court reviewed this point and decided that the evidence presented was not overly prejudicial, so it allowed the trial to continue without a limiting instruction. He argued prosecutorial misconduct, which means he felt the prosecutor acted inappropriately during the trial. Wildman argued that remarks made by the prosecutor affected his right to a fair trial. The court noted that comments made by the prosecutor were not serious enough to change the outcome of the trial and were in response to claims made by Wildman. Wildman believed that his attorney did not perform well and that he should have had a better defense. The court examined this claim closely. It stated that for someone to prove their lawyer was ineffective, they need to show that their lawyer's performance was very poor and that it influenced the trial's outcome. The court found that Wildman's lawyer did not make serious mistakes. Additionally, he felt that some evidence about the victim’s habits was improperly allowed into the trial. However, since he did not object to this evidence during the trial, it made it harder for him to appeal this point later. Finally, Wildman argued that all these errors combined led to an unfair trial. The court did not find any significant errors, so they upheld the conviction. In conclusion, the court affirmed Wildman's conviction and sentence, stating that the original trial was fair and proper according to the evidence and legal standards.

F-2001-281

Post author:Staff
Post published:April 22, 2002
Post category:F

In OCCA case No. F-2001-281, Jimmy Lee Mullins appealed his conviction for Second Degree Murder, Leaving the Scene of an Accident involving Death, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident involving Non-Fatal Personal Injuries. In a published decision, the court decided that Mullins's conviction for Leaving the Scene of an Accident involving Non-Fatal Personal Injuries should be reversed and dismissed. The court confirmed his convictions for Second Degree Murder and Leaving the Scene of an Accident involving Death. One judge dissented.