2013-M-243             State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Adam Lee Sterling, Appellant.

Appellant Adam Lee Sterling was found guilty after a jury trial of one count of first-degree premeditated murder and one count of second-degree murder. As a result of his conviction of first-degree premeditated murder, Sterling was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release.

  In this direct appeal, Sterling raises two issues:  (1) whether the trial court erred as a matter of law in denying his motion to suppress statements he made to police because he was in custody at the time

the statements were made and had not received a Miranda warning; and (2) whether the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction.  In his pro se brief, Sterling also makes a number of assertions that he claims are probative of his innocence. 

Because we conclude that any error in admitting Sterling’s statements to police was harmless beyond

a reasonable doubt, and that the evidence is sufficient to support Sterling’s conviction, we affirm.

HELD:  1. The initial period of interrogation of appellant by police was noncustodial and the trial court’s error, if any, in admitting certain statements made by appellant to police after the initial period of interrogation was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.

 2. The evidence is sufficient to support appellant’s conviction of first-degree premeditated murder.

Affirmed.

Page (Gildea, Anderson, Dietzen, Stras, and Wright)

Took no part:  Lillehaug

[MURDER]

A12-73,