Case Brief Law Course

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Case Citation: Nix V. Williams 467 U.S. 431 Parties: Nix, Plaintiff/Appelant Williams, Defendant/ Appellee Facts: Williams was seen at the place of abduction carrying a large bundle wrapped in a blanket from the YMCA in which Powers had gone missing. A fourteen year old boy who had helped Williams open his car door later stated that he had seen legs inside the blanket that Williams was carrying. The next day, Williams’ car was found 160 miles East of Des Moines, Iowa in Davenport. Articles of clothing from both the little girl and Williams and an army blanket were found at a rest stop on I-80 near Grinnell, which is between Des Moines and Davenport. Police started a search of the area between Des Moines and Grinnell on the 26th of December, two days after the child had gone missing. 200 volunteers divided into teams and searched 21 miles east of Grinnell covering several miles north and south of I-80. Williams surrendered to police in Davenport and contacted a Des Moines attorney. Des Moines Police told Williams’ counsel that they would drive to Davenport and pick him up and bring him back to Des Moines without questioning him. During the trip back, one of the officers solicited Williams statement giving the location of the body of the child by giving a “Christian Burial Speech.” The search was called off at 3 p.m. and the officer in charge went to meet the detectives at the rest stop. The search team was found to be only a few miles from the body before they were led to its location by Williams. Procedural History: Iowa State Court-1969. Found guilty of First Degree Murder, denied motion to suppress evidence of the body and all related evidence. Iowa State Court trial two-1977 again found guilty of First Degree Murder, held that the state had proved the inevitability rule concerning the finding of the body by search teams. U.S. District

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