Finally, although circumstantial evidence must exclude every other reasonable hypothesis but the defendant's guilt, the evidence "need not exclude every inference or hypothesis."Elkins v. State , 350 Ga. App. 816, 819 (1), 830 S.E.2d 345 (2019) (punctuation omitted); accordJohnson v. State , 291 Ga. App. 253, 254, 661 S.E.2d 642 (2008) ; see also OCGA § 24-14-6 ("To warrant a conviction on circumstantial evidence, the proved facts shall not only be consistent with the hypothesis of guilt, but shall exclude every other reasonable hypothesis save that of the guilt of the accused.").Elkins , 350 Ga. App. at 819 (1), 830 S.E.2d 345 (punctuation omitted); accordJohnson , 291 Ga. App. at 254, 661 S.E.2d 642.
(Citations, punctuation, and footnote omitted.) Elkins v. State, 350 Ga.App. 816, 819 (1) (830 S.E.2d 345) (2019).
The court ultimately sentenced Appellant’s mother to serve ten years in prison for tampering with evidence; the Court of Appeals affirmed her conviction. See Elkins v. State , ––– Ga. App. ––––, 830 S.E.2d 345, 2019 WL 2574220, (Case No. A19A0503; (decided June 24, 2019)). Appellant’s aunt and sister entered guilty pleas to the charges against them, and D.L. eventually pled guilty to the attempted armed robbery of West.