State v. Moore

MARTIN, Justice.

The body of Angela Ballard was found partially buried in sand at the base of an Atlantic Beach sand dune on the morning of 9 July 1982. Angela’s pantsuit was tangled around her feet, and her mouth and throat were packed with sand. A forensic pathologist testified that he observed bruises and scrapes on Angela’s face, neck, and chest, and opined that these had been caused by the blows of a blunt object, such as a fist. The pathologist believed the cause of Angela’s death to have been asphyxiation, from either the compression of her neck by an arm or the obstruction of the…