State v. Rimmer

Michael Rimmer (defendant) had a long, on-and-off relationship with Ricci Ellsworth and had previously been imprisoned for assaulting and raping her; while incarcerated, he told two inmates he planned to kill her upon release. After his release, Ellsworth, then a hotel night manager, disappeared amid signs of a struggle and blood evidence at the hotel; bloodstains matching her blood type were later found in Rimmer's car. The State of Tennessee (plaintiff) charged him with first-degree murder. At trial, the court instructed the jury that reasonable doubt does not mean a doubt arising from mere possibility and does not require absolute certainty; the jury convicted Rimmer, who appealed, arguing the instruction was erroneous.