where Tucker and his girlfriend, Janet Pro-fessori (Janet),1 lived. Shortly after they arrived, the victim, Robert Broussard, asked Tucker and Roper if they were interested in playing pool. They agreed, and the three of them played pool for approximately an hour. During this time, Tucker and Roper each drank about four beers.
The trio decided to go to the Dream Street, a nightclub about a 20-minute drive away. They rode together in Roper’s truck and arrived at about 5:00 p.m. The three took a table, ordered more beer, and talked. At one point, Tucker and Broussard argued, and Broussard left the table. Later, Broussard rejoined Tucker and Roper at the table.
About a half hour later, Tucker walked to the telephone to call Janet to ask for a ride home. While Tucker was making the call, Roper went to the men’s room because he was feeling ill. When Roper returned, both Tucker and Broussard were gone. The table had been cleared, and Roper’s key ring which he had left on the table, was gone. Roper walked outside and saw Broussard’s body lying on the ground covered with a blanket.
That day, Janet had arrived home at approximately 4:30 p.m. and noted that her .38-caliber revolver was missing. Fearing that Tucker had taken the gun, she tried to locate him through his friends, George and Rosemary Stair, and the apartment manager. At about 5:30 p.m., Janet received Tucker’s call, asking her to come and get him before he did “something crazy.” She immediately drove to the Dream Street bar and arrived at about 6:00 p.m.
Janet gave the police a taped, eyewitness account of the murder after Tucker’s arrest later in the evening. According to this statement, as Janet got out of her truck, she saw Tucker exit the bar. Another man, Broussard, followed Tucker out the door. Broussard approached Janet and asked if she “got high.” Janet said she didn’t, and Broussard apologized to her. Janet said to Tucker, “Let’s go home,” and turned, heading for her truck. Broussard walked away, and Tucker followed after him. As Janet got back into her truck, she saw Tucker point a gun at Broussard, heard the weapon discharge, and saw Broussard fall to the ground.
After the shooting, Tucker got into Janet’s truck, saying, “Let’s get out of here.” As she was driving, Janet saw her gun on the floor of her truck. When they arrived at their apartment, Tucker directed Janet to pack a suitcase for him because he “need[ed] to get out of here.” Janet did as requested, and then helped Tucker jump-start his truck and followed him to the home of George and Rosemary Stair. En route to the Stairs’ home, Janet wrapped the gun that was still on the floor of her truck in a white T-shirt. At trial, when Janet (by then Mrs. Tucker) recanted this account of the murder, her taped statement was played for the jury.
A passerby, Milton Cole, also witnessed the shooting. Cole was walking toward the bar when he noticed two men walking out. According to Cole, one of the men appeared to grab something out of a truck and shoot the other man in the head. Cole then saw the first man and a woman jump into the truck and drive away.
At the Stairs’ house, Tucker told the Stairs’ daughter, Donna Burwell, “I just blew a guy away.” George Stair was not at home, but Tucker spoke with him on the telephone. Burwell overheard Tucker say, “You know, Dad, nobody messes with my turf.” Burwell saw Tucker consume four or five beers at the Stair residence.
In the meantime, Janet had returned to the apartment and called the police. She gave the gun to the police and made her taped statement. Tucker was apprehended at the Stair residence without incident. After being arrested, Tucker made inculpato-ry statements concerning the murder weapon and how the victim was killed. The police took Tucker to his apartment, questioned him, and then transported him to the Tucson police station for an intoxilyzer test. Finally, the police transported Tucker to the Pima County Jail. En route, Tucker gave his version of the shooting
1
Prior to trial, Tucker and Professori were married.