Opinion ID: 1277356
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Events of March 24,1986

Text: Amy testified that she and Diane left high school on March 24, 1986, stopping first at a nearby Der Weinerschnitzel restaurant for a soda, then at another restaurant, Don Jose's, where Diane submitted an application for employment. The girls thereafter crossed the street to an area adjacent to a 7-Eleven store to wait for Diane's boyfriend, David Starbuck. A brown Toyota vehicle entered a nearby driveway, and Diane began conversing with its driver. Amy joined in the conversation. The driver informed the girls that he had found a marijuana field and he had a lady that was going to go with him and she couldn't make it, and he couldn't take another day off work and ... I guess [the marijuana] wasn't his, and so he needed someone to watch the road while he went and chopped down the marijuana.... He just wanted one of us. The man informed the girls that he would pay $1,000 for the assistance he requested, adding that we would be back in an hour. The girls decided that if one of them were going to accompany the man, they both would do so, and so they entered his vehicle. Amy noticed an orange towel on the dashboard. Amy told Diane: Oh, David is going to kill you for doing this. The man responded: Will he kill you for making a thousand dollars in an hour? Why would he kill you for making a thousand dollars in an hour? Amy estimated that the three of them thereafter traveled about 30 or 40 miles, stopping at a CircleK store because the driver said he was thirsty. The man returned to the car with a six-pack of Budweiser beer in bottles. The three drank the beer. The man informed the girls that he would need bags to put the marijuana in [a]nd that it wouldn't be cool to put it in a white plastic bag. He sent Amy back into the store to obtain some paper bags. The trio then drove to a Thrifty store where the girls procured more bags. Next, they traveled to a hardware store, because the man said the marijuana was thick and that he needed to get a hatehet to chop it down with. The man entered the store for the purpose of purchasing a hatchet, emerging shortly thereafter without one, however, informing the girls that the hatchet cost $15, which was too much money for him to pay. He explained, It's okay because I have a screwdriver in the trunk. Diane responded: I have this knife if you want to use that, and gave the man a small buck knife that she kept in her purse. Amy expressed her displeasure with this arrangement, and the man returned the knife to Diane. The trio then drove for awhile on a freeway, exiting near a field. The man tried to drive the vehicle into the field, but was unable to do so. He told the girls, I know another way to get in, and they kept driving. The car proceeded onto a dirt road near a sign that read, 80 Acres for Sale, passing a Volkswagen car shell. The vehicle stopped; the occupants emerged from the car, and the man removed the bags from the trunk. He told Amy to watch the road while he and Diane harvested the marijuana. Before departing, the man relieved himself; while he was doing so, the girls agreed to call to each other to make sure everything was all right. But after a few minutes, the man and Diane returned, the man informing the girls that the marijuana patch was not there. They returned to the car, and drove to where the dirt road stopped at a dead end. The man put the cap on his beer bottle, placed the bottle in a white plastic bag, and left the bag outside the car. The man and Diane walked up a dirt path, while Amy stayed by the vehicle. Diane had her knife with her. Amy waited for about 15 or 20 minutes, picking at the label on her bottle of beer. She started calling Diane's name, but heard no response. She threw the bottle into a bush. She noticed a bumper sticker on the man's vehicle. It read, Skier. She also noticed the license plate holder, which exhibited the words, Have a Nice Day. At some point thereafter, the man returned to the vehicle, alone. He informed Amy that Diane was cooling her feet in a spring and that he needed Amy's assistance to carry down the bags. Amy followed the man up the trail. Informing her that he saw a snake, the man picked up a rock. Amy told him to give it to her. The man did so, saying, But I'll have to get another one, you don't want me to get killed, do you? Amy gave the rock back to the man. At approximately the same time, Amy saw Diane's body, partially clothed and lying facedown. Frightened, Amy started to run back down the path. The man chased her, hitting her in the back with a rock, causing her to fall down. He started punching Amy in the face, and the two fell into a gully. Amy pleaded with the man to let her hear Diane say something. The man repeatedly told her to shut up, that Diane was unconscious and unable to speak. You're kind of funny, kid, he added, I'm about to rape you and all you can do is think about your friend. The man stood behind Amy, tore her blouse, pulled her skirt up, and ripped off her panties. She noticed that his trousers were down and he was holding his penis, just slapping it back and forth. Angrily, the man kept telling her, Don't look at me. But Amy continued to glance back at the man. It's hard for me to get it up after I just got it on with your friend, he explained. The man attempted to sodomize Amy. Repeatedly unable to achieve penetration, he turned Amy around, asking her, How are you at giving 157ihead, kid? He placed Amy on her knees, telling her, Do it, and shoved his penis into her mouth. After the man achieved an erection, he turned Amy around, began biting her neck, and sodomized her. Amy asked the man if he was going to kill her. He replied, I've done this in people's houses and I've never killed anyone yet. He then dragged Amy back up the path toward Diane's body, telling her that she had better shut up or he was going to get his Vaseline. While he was dragging Amy along, he picked up a small square jar of Vaseline. The man threw Amy down and forced her to orally copulate him again. He applied the Vaseline to himself. Then he raped her. Amy asked the man again if he was going to kill her. He said that he was going to render her unconscious by hitting her on the back of the neck with a rock. Amy suggested that he tie her up instead, dig a hole, and place her in the hole. The man agreed that it would be a good idea to tie her up, and did so with her blouse and bra. The man informed Amy that he had to find Diane's knife, but his efforts to locate it were unsuccessful and he returned to Amy, telling her that your friend was an asshole, she called me a few names, and I think she's dead. Amy replied that there was no reason he also had to kill her. The man repeated his desire to render her unconscious to allow him time to get away. Amy pleaded with the man not to hit her, concocting a false story that when she was three years old, her father used to hit and beat her, and that she was afraid of being hit. Upon hearing Amy's pleas for mercy, the man's attitude began to change. He said he understood what Amy had gone through because I was raped myself by three [B]lack men and I'm really sorry I had to do this, but you know, I had a shitty day.... Amy continued to promise that she would not tell anybody, so he untied her and took her back down the trail, repeatedly complaining, You made me hurt my hand, kid. Amy noticed that his hands were really dirty and permanently stained. Still fearing for her life, Amy asked the man to hold her hand. Instead, he put his arm around her and continued to express remorse. He placed Amy in his vehicle, and the pair drove away. When Amy asked whether she could disclose Diane's whereabouts, the man replied: I wouldn't do that.... This is what you're going to tell them. You're going to tell them it was a [B]lack man, a [B]lack man took you  if you have to tell them anything. He added: I'm putting 15 years of my life in your hands, kid. Amy renewed her promise not to discuss the incident, to which the man replied, But that doesn't matter because by the time they pick me up ... I can get out before the ... sentencing.... Anyway, I've got two good friends that would do anything for me. The man dropped Amy off approximately one block from a 7-Eleven store. As Amy emerged from the car, the man warned her not to call the police. Then he gave her a quarter to phone home and departed. Amy called her sister, informing her of the incident. The sheriffs department was contacted, and Amy later accompanied detectives to search for Diane.