Opinion ID: 1390030
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Order Denying Successive Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

Text: Petitioner Kevin Cooper, a California state prisoner, brings this successive petition for writ of habeas corpus petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. He challenges his capital conviction for the first-degree murders of Franklyn Douglas Ryen (Doug), Peggy Ryen, his wife, Jessica Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter, and Christopher Hughes, an 11-year-old neighborhood friend, and the attempted murder of Joshua Ryen, the 8-year-old son of Doug and Peggy Ryen. Petitioner's successive petition challenges post-conviction DNA test results that confirm that Petitioner is responsible for the Ryen/Hughes murders. (DOJ Physical Evidence Report dated July 2, 2002; Supplemental DOJ Physical Evidence Exam Report dated Sept. 24, 2002.) [1] These DNA tests were done pursuant to a Joint DNA Forensic Testing Agreement (Joint DNA Agreement) entered on May 10, 2001. [2] Those results provide strong evidence of Petitioner's DNA from blood inside the Ryen residence (one in 310 billion), from saliva on two cigarette butts recovered from the stolen Ryen station wagon (one in 19 billion and one in 110 million), and from a T-shirt found on the side of a road that contained Petitioner's blood (one in 110 million) and victim Doug Ryen's blood (one in 1.3 trillion). (Supplemental DOJ Physical Evidence Exam Report dated Sept. 24, 2002.) In addition to the DNA evidence inculpating Petitioner, DNA profiles of blood taken from a hatchet that was taken from the house where Petitioner hid after his escape from prison matched that of several of the victims including Doug and Jessica Ryen and Chris Hughes. (Supplemental DOJ Physical Evidence Exam Report dated Sept. 24, 2002.) On February 9, 2004, the Ninth Circuit granted Petitioner's request to file a successive petition for writ of habeas corpus in federal court and remanded the successive petition to this Court. Cooper v. Woodford, 358 F.3d 1117 (9th Cir.2004). The Ninth Circuit stated that Petitioner's guilt may be resolved through two scientific tests: (1) mitochondrial DNA testing of hairs found on the victims and (2) testing of the T-shirt for ethylene-diamine tetraacedic acid (EDTA) blood preservative. Id. at 1123-24. Having conducted mitochondrial DNA testing and EDTA testing, reviewed the parties' papers, heard testimony from forty-two witnesses, reviewed numerous exhibits, considered the prior record, and listened to the parties' oral arguments, this Court DENIES the successive petition for writ of habeas corpus.