State v. Eppley

LAKE, Justice.

In these cases the State relies upon what is called the doctrine of recent possession. While inaccurately named, the doctrine is well established and was thus stated by Chief Justice Pearson in State v. Graves, 72 N.C. 482: “When goods are stolen, one found in possession so soon thereafter, that he could not have reasonably got the possession unless he had stolen them himself, the law presumes he was the thief.” A better statement of the rule is that the defendant’s possession of stolen goods soon after the theft is a circumstance tending to show the defendant is guilty of the…