Opinion ID: 1172674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Events in California

Text: Appellant telephoned Ms. Susan J. Schnell from the airplane while en route to California to confirm the time he would meet her at a hotel near the Ontario Airport. Upon arrival there he had some drinks and later checked into a hotel. Appellant and Ms. Schnell met at about noon the next day, Saturday, May 25, 1991, and drove in her sports car to Palm Springs where they checked into a Ramada Inn. They had planned to stay in separate bedrooms, but because of a reservation mix-up, they had to stay in the same room with only one bed. They slept in the bed that night but did not have intercourse. Appellant and Ms. Schnell spent Sunday, May 26, 1991, touring the Palm Springs area together. She was driving her burgundy red 1981 Corvette sports car. Upon returning from dinner around midnight, they began kissing and fondling. Appellant performed cunnilingus on Ms. Schnell and then offered to give her a back rub. Appellant straddled her while she lay face down on the bed. Suddenly he violently jerked her arms back and told her not to scream. When she did, he slit her throat. As she continued to scream, Appellant restrained her with handcuffs and brought the knife around to her chest and threatened her with it. She saw the knife. He told her he just wanted her money. Appellant repositioned Ms. Schnell on the bed and tied her to it, using her pantyhose. He shaved her pubic hair and, raped her vaginally and orally. He then ordered her to write him a check for $4,000.00, which she had difficulty completing to his satisfaction until her third attempt. Appellant became concerned about Ms. Schnell's bleeding and told her he was going out for medical supplies. He tried to gag her with a sock and restrain her arms above her head, but abandoned the effort when she began coughing up blood. Her feet, however, remained handcuffed to the bed. While he was gone, she was somehow able to reach the telephone and call the desk clerk. Palm Springs police arrived and took a description of Appellant from Ms. Schnell. [16] When Palm Springs police officer Glen Haas saw a man who fit Appellant's description in the hotel parking lot, near a red Corvette sports car, he drew his firearm and told him to stop and put his hands up. Appellant identified himself as Cal. Officer Haas asked him where the knife was, and Appellant responded in my right front pocket. When asked his last name, Appellant replied Brown. Officer Haas then arrested Appellant on suspicion of attempted murder. After being processed by the Palm Springs police, Appellant was interviewed by Detective Mark Harvey and his partner, Detective Al Franz. Three interviews took place between May 27 and May 28, 1991, with the first two initiated by the detectives and the third initiated by Appellant. Before each interview, Appellant was read his Miranda rights, stated he understood them, and agreed to talk with the detectives. Each interview was tape recorded without Appellant's knowledge or consent. During the first interview, Appellant in specific detail admitted his attack upon Ms. Schnell. Later in that interview, he admitted killing Ms. Washa before coming to Palm Springs. He told the detectives where the killing took place in Washington and where Ms. Washa's automobile could be found. The Palm Springs police immediately contacted King County police who dispatched local officers to the Budget parking lot near the Seattle-Tacoma Airport where they located the 1985 blue Oldsmobile in space 266 with Ms. Washa's body in the trunk. Appellant still had the keys to Ms. Washa's automobile in his possession. Based upon his behavior with Ms. Schnell, Appellant pleaded guilty in California to attempted murder in the first degree, aggravated mayhem, torture, robbery in the first degree, and false imprisonment. On November 26, 1991 he was sentenced to life imprisonment in that state.