Opinion ID: 2517672
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Michael Small/Sandra Harris Moss

Text: Petitioner alleges that sometime after the murders, Boyd told Michael Small he had killed a child and would do it again; that he took a pillow, put it over the child's face and stabbed him through the pillow; and that he expected to receive a large sum of money. These allegations are supported by the testimony of both Small and Sandra Harris Moss, then known as Sandra Harris. Small, now a minister living in Kentucky, testified that he lived at the Vose Street apartments in 1981 and was friends with Arzetta Harvey's son (Boyd's stepson). Small observed an altercation between Boyd and Raynall Burney in which Boyd drew a knife and said: I play for keeps. I have already taken out one young kid. I can do the same. Boyd made these statements after the Nancy and Mitchell Morgan murders. A few days later, Small asked Boyd whether his comments were true and Boyd replied in the affirmative, explaining: I took the pillow and I put it over him and I just stabbed him. The conversation was [v]ery vivid in Small's memory. At one point, Boyd said he expected to receive a large sum of money, but later said the money he was expecting to receive wasn't there. Sandra Harris Moss testified that Arzetta Harvey, Boyd's wife, told her Boyd was expecting to receive some insurance money, although in her testimony Harvey denied the account. Boyd denied making the statements to Small or making any statements with regard to insurance proceeds. At the hearing, respondent emphasized that there was a discrepancy between Small's declaration (introduced without objection) and his testimony, in that his declaration made no mention of Boyd's admitting to killing a child. Small explained that he had told the defense investigator who prepared the declaration that, in light of the many years that had passed, he might still remember some additional facts. Respondent fully cross-examined Small regarding the discrepancy. Regarding why he did not immediately come forward with his evidence, Small testified that he initially declined to go to the police because he feared Boyd, then left the state for a few months for a military commitment, and that when he returned to California, he heard nothing more about the murders. The referee specifically credited Small's testimony on these points and concluded Boyd's denials were not credible, stating that, [i]n testifying at the reference hearing, Boyd made a number of statements which were shown to be false[, including] ... that he did not threaten, bully, pressure or otherwise try to intimidate any of the Vose Street residents ... [and] that he did not tell ... Michael Small ... that he had participated in the planning and/or the carrying out of the murders in this case. (Italics added.) The referee also found Arzetta Harvey's testimony (denying she had told Sandra Harris Moss that Boyd was coming into some insurance money) to be unreliable. Respondent in his return denies these allegations concerning Boyd's statements to Small and also takes exception to the referee's findings, on a number of grounds. First, respondent argues the discrepancy between Small's declaration and his hearing testimony, as well as his failure to come forward earlier, indicates he was not credible. Small addressed these points in his testimony. Respondent adds that Small's credibility is further undermined because Burney in his testimony never mentioned that Boyd said he had killed a child by stabbing him. Although Raynall Burney's failure to mention that Boyd had admitted to killing a child tends to undermine Small's testimony, this is the type of credibility assessment we commit to the referee, and he specifically found Boyd was not truthful when he denied telling Small about his involvement in the murders. Because the referee's credibility determination is supported by substantial evidence, namely Small's own testimony and his declaration, it is entitled to deference. ( In re Thomas, supra, 37 Cal.4th at p. 1256, 39 Cal.Rptr.3d 845, 129 P.3d 49.) Accordingly, we overrule respondent's exceptions. Second, respondent takes exception to the referee's acceptance of Small's testimony, on grounds his credibility was undermined by: (1) his claim he was an ordained minister of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith, when in fact his Kingdom Hall does not use that title; and (2) when he was 17 years old, he obtained an identification card from the Department of Motor Vehicles with a false birth date. These matters were fully aired at the hearing, with Small explaining the circumstances of each, and we assume the referee considered them in weighing Small's credibility against that of Boyd. Because the referee's credibility determination is supported by substantial evidence, namely Small's own testimony, it is entitled to deference. ( In re Thomas, supra, 37 Cal.4th at p. 1256, 39 Cal. Rptr.3d 845, 129 P.3d 49.) Accordingly, we overrule these exceptions. Third, respondent takes exception to the referee's findings with regard to Small's testimony, on the ground that evidence Small was afraid of Boyd, that Boyd lived the life of a gangster, and that other Vose Street residents were afraid of Boyd was inadmissible evidence of Boyd's bad character. Because respondent did not object to Small's testimony on this ground, he has forfeited the claim in this court. In any event, the testimony was admissible to show Small's state of mind, which was relevant to show his fear of Boyd and thus his reluctance to come forward until years later. We thus overrule this exception. Fourth, respondent takes exception to the referee's finding that Boyd ever told anyone he was expecting to receive money from some insurance proceeds or that Harvey had mentioned anything about such money to Sandra Harris Moss, arguing that no evidence supports the proposition that Boyd told this to Small personally. Respondent is mistaken, as Small so testified. We thus overrule this exception. Fifth, respondent takes exception to the referee's finding that Arzetta Harvey told Sandra Harris Moss that she and Boyd expected to get some insurance money soon. The referee's interpretation of the evidence is reasonable; Sandra Moss testified that Harvey had said she and Boyd were coming into some insurance money, and, in context, Moss reasonably understood the use of the colloquial phraseology to mean soon and not at some distant future time. We thus overrule this exception. Sixth, respondent takes exception to the referee's finding crediting Small's testimony recounting Boyd's admissions, contending the comments were inadmissible hearsay. Respondent failed to object on this ground and thus failed to preserve the issue for our review. Were we to overlook this forfeiture and address the claim, we would find Boyd's comments that (1) with a drawn knife, he told Raynall Burney (overheard by Small): `I play for keeps. I have already taken out one young kid. I can do the same'; (2) he told Michael Small: I took the pillow and I put it over him and I just stabbed him; and (3) he told Small he (Boyd) expected to be receiving a large sum of money, all were admissible under Evidence Code section 1235 because they recounted Boyd's prior inconsistent statements. (See discussion, ante, at pt. IV.B.1.c.) We thus conclude that, even had respondent preserved this issue, the referee would properly have admitted the evidence over the hearsay objection. As the referee's conclusions concerning the testimony of Michael Small and Sandra Harris Moss are supported by substantial evidence, namely, the testimony of Small himself as well as that of Sandra Harris Moss, we overrule respondent's exceptions and adopt the referee's conclusions.