State of Arizona v. Darrell Bryant Ketchner

Summary

The court held that expert testimony describing separation violence, lethality factors, and characteristics of domestic abusers was inadmissible profile evidence because it invited the jury to infer that Ketchner acted according to an abuser profile. The State did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the error did not affect the felony-murder and burglary verdicts, so those convictions and sentences were reversed and remanded for a new trial. The error was harmless as to the aggravated-assault and attempted-murder convictions, which were affirmed.