Opinion ID: 1122547
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendant's statement, They can only gas me once

Text: Richard Lee, an investigator for the Monterey County District Attorney, testified that on April 4, 1985, defendant, while incarcerated in the Monterey County jail (in connection with the Parkfield murder of Greg Rambo), asked, So you guys aren't going to try me; is that right? Lee replied that defendant would be tried in Kern County for the Bautista killings committed in Bakersfield, and in Monterey County for the Rambo killing. Defendant responded, They can only gas me once. They can only take my wheels one time. Do you know what I mean? Lee responded, Come on Bob, that's negative vibes. Defendant laughed and said, Yeah, negative vibes, that's right. I'm still breathing and there's a few people who ain't. Defendant then laughed again.
The defense sought to establish that participants in the Shandon drug operation, other than defendant, had a financial motive that might have led one or more of them to commit the Bautista murders, as well as the murder of Greg Rambo. With that objective, the defense introduced the testimony of 15 witnesses in an effort to cast doubt upon the credibility of key prosecution witnesses whose testimony had implicated defendant in all 3 murders. In particular, the defense offered testimony aimed at impugning the credibility of Whittington by highlighting his evasive and occasionally contradictory pretrial testimony. The defense also introduced testimony directed at undercutting Susan Rambo's credibility as a prosecution witness by highlighting her odd behavior in the immediate aftermath of her husband's disappearance. The defense additionally sought to suggest that Susan Rambo might have been involved in her husband's murder, and that her motivation to hasten his demise had been fueled by lust and greed  a desire to pursue an intimate relationship with defendant, and a desire to collect on her husband's life insurance policy.

The prosecution introduced stipulations it had entered into with the defense establishing that defendant had been convicted of second degree burglary in 1972 and possession of a silencer in 1981, both felonies. Over objections of defense counsel, the prosecution also introduced the testimony of witnesses regarding defendant's possession of firearms in 1981 and 1982, and his involvement in an alleged kidnapping that occurred in 1982. We briefly summarize the prosecution's evidence regarding the firearms and the kidnapping. Douglas Gerst, a police officer employed by the City of Los Angeles, testified that in 1981, during two searches of a residence located in Canoga Park, he recovered numerous weapons, including a Mac Ten machine gun (with silencer), two automatic pistols, six revolvers, six rifles, and twelve shotguns. The prosecution introduced photographs of the machine gun and silencer. Gerst testified that thousands of rounds of ammunition were found inside the residence. Utility receipts established that the premises were defendant's residence. Diane Sems described an incident in June 1982 in which an acquaintance of hers, Terry Fabricant, forced her into a pickup truck that was driven by another man. Sems was blindfolded, driven to a residence that she did not recognize (and where she observed guns), and forced by Fabricant to ingest drugs. After Fabricant fell asleep a few hours later, she escaped; the next day, no longer under the influence of drugs, she identified the driver of the pickup truck in a police photo lineup. Sems testified that defendant resembled the driver of the pickup truck, although she was uncertain and, in fact, acknowledged on cross-examination that she could not identify the driver. To bolster Diane Sems's testimony, the prosecution introduced the testimony of Terry Fabricant, who stated that he had been an acquaintance of defendant's in June 1982 and that defendant drove a pickup truck at that time. Fabricant was not questioned (and did not testify) regarding the facts underlying the alleged kidnapping. To further corroborate Sems's story, the prosecution introduced the testimony of Philip Quartararol, a police detective employed by the City of Los Angeles. Quartararol testified that he had conducted the photo lineup recalled by Sems, that Sems had identified defendant during that lineup, and that Sems did not appear at that time to be under the influence of drugs. Quartararol also testified that he had obtained a search warrant for the same residence that Officer Gerst had searched one year earlier, and in the ensuing search had recovered two semiautomatic weapons, two shotguns, and several thousand rounds of ammunition. On cross-examination, Quartararol acknowledged that, under the law in effect at the time he conducted the search in 1982, a felon's possession of the firearms he discovered was not illegal, because the weapons were not concealable.
At the penalty phase, the defense presented evidence in mitigation relating to defendant's prison history, his upbringing and character, and his cordial relationship with a woman and her young daughter. A document summarizing defendant's prison history indicated that defendant had adjusted well to prison. Defense counsel argued that this document demonstrated that defendant had been a model prisoner. The testimony of Russell Garceau, defendant's younger brother, was introduced in an effort to demonstrate positive attributes on the part of defendant as well as the repeated adversity that defendant had faced throughout his life. This testimony indicated that defendant had been an intelligent child, had won poetry and art contests, and was an avid reader. As a youth, defendant developed bone disease in his ankle that required frequent hospitalization and caused defendant to miss quite a bit of his childhood. Defendant's brother testified that his father had collected firearms, and when defendant was enrolled in junior high school, defendant had brought a gun to school and then, deciding that was the wrong thing to do, had given it to a school administrator with whom defendant had maintained a good relationship. According to this testimony, defendant was arrested and placed in a detention hall, where he frequently was beaten. Defendant's brother further testified that at 16 years of age, defendant joined the Army, serving both domestically and in Vietnam, after which he was honorably discharged in 1968. Upon defendant's return from Vietnam, he seemed embittered and began to commit burglaries, leading to his arrest and imprisonment. Defendant had been proud to be one of the few [inmates not] involved in violence or dope. In 1976, defendant rented three or four acres of land in Chatsworth, set up a horse ranch, and attempted to start a hayriding business. Defendant's brother believed that defendant was not involved in criminal activity during the two or three years he lived on the ranch, and that he had not owned any guns during this period. When the land thereafter was sold, defendant was compelled to sell his possessions and leave the ranch. Defendant's brother further testified that defendant had a generous nature, noting, for example, that he used to borrow money from me to give to the blind man.... Defendant always had repaid his debts, and made three years of automobile loan payments for the widow of a deceased business partner. Defendant often forgave loans that he had made to others. After his father's death, defendant visited and kept in touch with his mother, who resided in Ohio. Defendant's brother testified that during the 1980's, defendant started on drugs ... that's when I saw his whole personality change.... Up to that time I thought he was probably the most honorable person I had ever met.... Then he started getting involved in cocaine and then all of a sudden he wouldn't show up when he was supposed to, he wasn't paying back like he used to pay back his loans and in a sense, to me, became flaky, his whole life seemed to change at that time.... The defense also introduced the testimony of Starr Calliez, who described defendant as being very sensitive [and] very considerate. Calliez stated that in 1973, she was an acquaintance of defendant's brother, who mentioned at that time that he had a brother in prison. Calliez began corresponding with defendant, visited him in prison many times, and developed an intimate relationship with him following his release. Calliez stated that defendant was very friendly and nice to her six-year old daughter, buying her gifts, and that the three of them engaged in activities as a family. Calliez acknowledged that defendant had not adjusted easily to life outside prison but noted that during their relationship, she never had known defendant to use drugs or resort to violence. Calliez's close relationship with defendant ultimately ended, and thereafter, in 1983, she married someone else. Calliez was shocked to learn of defendant's possible involvement in the illegal activities described at trial. Notwithstanding the evidence establishing defendant's murder of a mother and a child, Calliez still would feel comfortable in the event she and her daughter were to be alone in defendant's company.