Opinion ID: 1175367
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Circumstances of interrogation.

Text: The record, viewed most favorably to the prosecution, indicates as follows: By December 14, 1982, Fullerton police deemed defendant a possible suspect in the Harbitz killings, but they lacked sufficient cause to arrest him. [6] About 5:30 p.m. on December 14, after evening darkness had set in, Detectives Allred and Lewis met at defendant's El Monte residence with Officers Scroggins and Fentress of the El Monte police force. Both sets of officers were in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles. Lewis explained to Scroggins and Fentress that he lacked probable cause to arrest petitioner and was seeking a voluntary interview. He instructed them to cover the rear of the house while he and Allred knocked at the front door. It was understood that defendant would be detained if he attempted to flee. Lewis knocked on the door, identified himself to a woman who peered out the window, asked for defendant, and requested permission to enter. The woman explained the front door could not be opened. Defendant then emerged from the back door and was stopped by Scroggins and Fentress. Scroggins identified himself as a police officer, asked defendant to step into the driveway, and told him two gentlemen in front would like to speak to him. Lewis and defendant testified that the El Monte officers commanded defendant to freeze or halt when he came out the door. [7] The evidence was conflicting as to whether the El Monte officers had ahold of defendant as they walked him to the front of the house. There Lewis asked defendant if he would voluntarily come to the Fullerton police station for an interview. Defendant agreed. He testified he did so because he thought he would have to go anyway and did not want to create a scene in front of Cornwell. Defendant asked if he could go in and get a shirt before leaving with the officers. Lewis agreed, and the officers followed defendant inside. Lewis went into the house because he wanted to keep defendant in sight. [8] Inside the house, Cindy Cornwell asked if she could accompany defendant to the station. Lewis said she could go, but she was unable to arrange child care. Lewis explained that defendant would be gone about three hours, including one hour of interview time and two hours of travel. Defendant and the officers then emerged from the house and walked to the Fullerton police car, where defendant was frisked for weapons. Lewis told defendant to have a seat in back, and defendant did so. Lewis and Allred got into the front seat. There was no cage between the front and rear of the passenger compartment, defendant was not handcuffed, and the car doors were not locked. During the one-hour drive from El Monte to Fullerton, Lewis told defendant they were investigating a homicide and would not take statements until they reached the station. Once at the Fullerton station, Lewis and Allred brought defendant to a small interrogation room. About 7:15 p.m., Lewis advised defendant of his Miranda rights and commenced a tape-recorded interview. [9] Defendant testified he was not aware the conversation was being recorded. Lewis told defendant the police were investigating the murders of Mr. and Mrs. Harbitz. He then asked some general questions about defendant's relationship to the victims and how recently he had been at their home. Defendant insisted he had not been there for at least six months. After several minutes, Lewis told defendant that William Harbitz says you killed his mother and dad. As defendant continued to protest his innocence, Lewis repeatedly proclaimed that the police knew and could prove defendant had committed the homicides, and that defendant was gonna fall on this one. Lewis declared that the authorities had evidence of which defendant was unaware, that they could place [him] at the scene, and that he would discover the nature of the evidence when [he went] to court. Defendant's lies to the contrary, Lewis asserted, would not make the situation go away. Lewis suggested that defendant probably was wired (i.e., intoxicated by drugs) when he stabbed the victims and was not fully aware of what he had done. Defendant was urged to show some damn conscience and to help the police understand his actions. Again and again, Lewis insisted defendant would not be able to live with his guilt. Still defendant insisted he had not gone to the Harbitz residence on December 7 and was not the killer. During this period, defendant asked several times if he was under arrest; Lewis evaded the questions and continued the interrogation. In hopes of prolonging the interview, Lewis also ignored several unequivocal statements by defendant that he wanted a lawyer and did not wish to say anything further. Finally, around 8:49 p.m., defendant again said he [didn't] wanna talk no more. At this point, Lewis ended the questioning and told defendant to sit tight. [10] After leaving the room for a moment, Lewis returned and asked defendant for consent to search the El Monte house. Lewis urged that defendant should have no objection if, as he insisted, he had nothing to hide. Defendant agreed to a search, but only if Cornwell also gave permission, since [i]t's her house. After obtaining defendant's consent to search, Lewis again told him to sit tight for a few minutes and turned off the recorder. Lewis then telephoned Fullerton Officers Davinroy and Ritter, who had been waiting at a fire station near the El Monte house. He told them they must obtain Cornwell's consent to search the residence. Before doing so, she consulted both defendant (see discussion, post ) and her attorney. Cornwell subsequently signed a written consent form. After calling Davinroy and Ritter, Lewis returned to the interrogation room. With the tape recorder still off, Lewis asked defendant if the police could fingerprint him for elimination purposes. According to Lewis, defendant said okay but asked again if this meant he was under arrest; Lewis answered that he was not. Defendant recalled no such conversation. Allred then walk[ed defendant] over to the jail facility to have his fingerprints taken. Defendant testified he was handcuffed during the trip to the jail; the officers denied it. After about 25 minutes, Allred returned from the jail with defendant. Defendant took a telephone call from Cornwell. As Lewis interpreted defendant's side of the conversation, Cornwell was asking whether she should give permission to search their residence. Defendant indicated that it was her decision, it was her house, it was okay with him. Lewis also overheard defendant tell Cornwell he was being charged with two counts of murder. This somewhat shocked and surprised Lewis, since defendant had not been placed under arrest. When defendant completed the telephone conversation, he walked toward Lewis, who was standing in the hallway adjacent to the interrogation room. As he did so, Lewis said, Why don't you step in here [i.e., the interrogation room] for a few minutes, I just want to tell you a couple things. Defendant walked into the room and sat down, while Lewis remained standing at the doorway. The tape machine was not turned on. Lewis recited that since defendant had asked for an attorney, I wasn't there to solicit any statements from him, but I just wanted him to understand a couple things. Lewis then told defendant that while he was being fingerprinted, the detectives had telephoned Paul Harbitz, another of the victims' sons. Paul was fairly certain defendant had done yard work for the senior Harbitzes in September or October, more recently than defendant maintained. Lewis advised defendant that he didn't know whether [defendant] was involved in this and whether he was telling the truth or not but would be checking further into the case with Bill Harbitz. According to Lewis, he then turned to leave the room, intending to arrange transportation home for defendant. At this point, defendant shouted, Hey, wait a minute. Come back here and sit down. You're right, I can't live with it. I did it. I didn't mean to do it. But I did it. Lewis reactivated the recorder and took a waiver of defendant's Miranda rights, during which defendant remarked that he could not afford an attorney. Defendant then proceeded to give the statement described above.