Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Apr 30, 2019
State of Missouri, Respondent, v. Leroy Coleman, Jr., Appellant.
Leroy Coleman, Jr. appealed his convictions for first-degree murder, assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and armed criminal action, arguing the trial court improperly admitted evidence of an unrelated carjacking. The State contended the issue was not preserved, but the appellate court found it was. The Eastern District affirmed the judgment, holding that the evidence of the carjacking was admissible to provide a complete and coherent picture of the events leading up to the charged crimes, and its probative value outweighed its prejudicial effect.