Melendez v. Indiana

SHEPARD, Chief Justice.

Following a trial by jury, appellant Rafael Melendez was convicted of murder, Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1 (Burns 1984 Supp.). The court sentenced him to forty years in prison. He raises three issues on direct appeal:

1) Whether the trial court erred in admitting two photographs of the victim which showed incisions and sutures made in an attempt to save the victim’s life;

2) Whether the trial court erred in instructing the jury on voluntary intoxication, and

3) Whether the evidence was sufficient to prove that Melendez intended to kill the victim.

The evidence showed that Melendez…