Opinion ID: 2599164
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Lonnie Hillhouse's Testimony

Text: Lonnie testified that on the evening of the crime, he and defendant went to the Madison Bear Garden, a bar in Chico. There they met the victim, Schultz, who purchased the three men a pitcher of beer, paying for it with a $100 bill. They also met Janice Murphy, who joined the group. Eventually, the group decided to leave the bar. Lonnie heard Schultz ask defendant to drive and saw him hand him some keys. The four left and entered Schultz's pickup truck. Defendant drove. Soon defendant started to drive the wrong way on a one-way street. Upset about this, Lonnie got out of the truck and walked to his apartment, leaving the other three behind. Christine Hoover and Debbie Dodge were in the apartment. Later that night, Lonnie saw defendant and Schultz sitting in the same truck outside his apartment. Shortly after that, defendant came to speak with Lonnie in the apartment. Defendant asked Lonnie if he wanted to be with the big boys, to which he responded yes. Defendant said, this guy's got some money out here and I am going to kill him and take it. He asked Lonnie to go with him. When Lonnie said no, defendant looked at him and said, I told you what I am going to do, and if you say anything to anybody, the same thing is going to happen to you. They then left in Schultz's truck, with defendant driving in the direction of Paradise. Schultz was sitting between Lonnie and defendant. Schultz was passed out, apparently drunk. It was around midnight. As they were driving, defendant asked Lonnie to check his pockets. In response, Lonnie took some moneyabout three or four bills wadded upfrom Schultz's pocket and gave it to defendant. The three stopped at a gas station in Paradise, where they purchased gasoline. When Lonnie paid for the gasoline, he wanted to tell the clerk to call the police, but he was afraid to do so. Then they continued driving. Schultz's condition was unchanged. At some point, Schultz started coming to, and asked where we were going. Defendant told him they were going to his wife's house to get some pot, and we would be back to Chico by morning or before work. (Defendant was unmarried.) As they kept driving, Schultz seemed to become more concerned about where they were going, and he asked defendant to turn the truck around. Defendant turned around and drove in the opposition direction. Schultz then asked to pull over, so they stopped. The three got out of the car. Schultz started urinating. Defendant walked around the back of the truck and approached Schultz. Lonnie testified, [Defendant] said something that I didn't catch and [Schultz] said, `Don't fuck with me while I'm peeing,' and [defendant] said, `I ought to kill you.' And I heard a thunk and [Schultz] started gasping for air and I turned away. Lonnie observed Schultz leaning against the door [of the truck] trying to keep from falling with his hands on his chest. Defendant grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Lonnie seized Schultz by the arm and rolled him over. He observed blood on Schultz's chest and on defendant's hand. Defendant said, `Why let him suffer,' and stuck [i.e., stabbed] him a couple more times. Lonnie heard Schultz again gasping for air. Defendant asked Lonnie to help drag Schultz's body behind some trees. The two dragged the body until defendant said this is good. Defendant then repositioned the truck so its headlights illuminated the body, and they moved the body a foot or so further up a hill. During the dragging, the body made no more sounds and did not move on its own. At defendant's request, Lonnie checked one of the body's pockets; defendant checked others. Lonnie did not remove anything and did not see defendant remove anything. The two drove back towards Paradise. On the way they stopped at a gas stationa different one than beforeto wash their hands of blood. Defendant then drove to some friends' house. Defendant entered the house but returned to Lonnie in the truck about 10 or 15 minutes later. Defendant said they would have to return later in the morning because he was told that he had a wife and kids and that he didn't want to be bothered or something.... The two brothers commenced driving again, now towards Chico. On the way, defendant asked Lonnie to throw a knife out of the truck. In response, Lonnie took a knife from the seat where defendant had placed it and threw it from the car. Eventually the two drove to a friend's apartment in Chico. They parked the truck a couple of blocks away and, at defendant's direction, wiped fingerprints from it. They then went to sleep. A couple of days later, defendant and defendant's acquaintance, Gary Reep, went with Lonnie to a pawnshop where, at defendant's and Reep's direction, Lonnie pawned some tools that defendant said belonged to Reep. They told Lonnie to pawn them because he was the only one of the trio who had identification. He received $80 for the tools, which he gave to defendant with the pawn tickets. Lonnie was present when the police arrested defendant. Defendant said to him at the time, Remember, Lonnie. Lonnie considered the statement a threat. .Lonnie admitted that he lied to the police and prosecution at first to protect himself and his brother, but he said he was telling the truth at trial.