Opinion ID: 1122547
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Bautista murders: defendant's conduct, confessions, and threats

Text: On September 4, 1984, Maureen and Telesforo Bautista registered at a Bakersfield motel. The motel manager testified that he recalled seeing defendant that afternoon on the premises. On the evening of September 6, Telesforo prepaid in cash for that night's lodging. At a later point that evening, or in the early hours of the next morning, defendant and the Bautistas moved to an unoccupied Bakersfield apartment rented by Patricia Shepard. [5] Defendant telephoned Larry Tom Whittington near midnight on September 6, asking Whittington to meet him at Shepard's apartment immediately. When Whittington arrived, defendant said he and Maureen Bautista had been arguing loudly at the motel and had been concerned someone would call the police, so he and the Bautistas had moved to Shepard's apartment. Defendant told Whittington he was afraid Maureen was planning to snitch him off to Eddie Nash or Nash's attorney; defendant's fear stemmed from his belief that Nash was scheduled to be released from prison the following day. When Whittington asked defendant where the Bautistas were, he said they were sleeping in the bedroom. Whittington did not see them, nor did he hear any sounds emanating from the bedroom. He noticed the telephone appeared to have been ripped from the wall. When Whittington awoke at his Bakersfield residence the next morning, September 7, to the sound of knocking, defendant entered and announced, I did it.... I killed them. Defendant told Whittington that Maureen Bautista was going to snitch me off [and] I know how to take care of snitches. When Whittington asked defendant to lower his voice so Shepard would not hear the conversation, defendant replied that Shepard should hear what had happened, because the deaths had occurred in her apartment. She thereafter joined the conversation. Both Whittington and Shepard testified that defendant told them he had killed Maureen Bautista and the kid the previous evening. Shepard further testified that defendant stated he had killed the Bautistas by slitting their throats with a knife. She testified that defendant demonstrated to her the manner of stabbing. When she (or Whittington) asked why defendant had killed Telesforo, defendant replied that Telesforo had seen him kill the boy's mother. Defendant told Shepard and Whittington that Telesforo had been afraid of Jason, the fictional killer depicted in the motion picture Friday the Thirteenth, but that the boy should have been afraid of defendant instead of Jason. A quarter of an hour later, defendant departed from Whittington's Bakersfield residence, informing him that he (defendant) had to leave town, and driving off in Maureen Bautista's automobile, a beige Honda Accord. Susan Rambo testified that defendant sped into her yard on a Friday morning early in September (September 7 was a Friday), driving Maureen Bautista's automobile. Defendant was completely erratic, very hyper, babbling, not making sense, and excitedly stated: They wouldn't believe me. I kept telling them. They wouldn't believe me. They should know what happens to snitches. Now she's dead. Later that morning, after smoking his cocaine pipe, defendant appeared to calm down and make more sense. Defendant explained that Maureen Bautista had been yelling about snitches, and that Maureen was going to snitch on everyone involved in the drug operation. Susan Rambo testified defendant told her that when he stabbed Maureen Bautista, Telesforo began screaming hysterically. Defendant told Telesforo to shut up, and stabbed him when he did not. Defendant explained to Susan Rambo, You have to take out all witnesses. Defendant also reminded Susan Rambo she too should be aware of what happens to snitches: If you don't want it to happen to you, you know you don't say anything. This is part of the game. This is part of the rules, part of the business. You're in it. You're involved. His threat made her afraid to contact the police, as did additional threats he directed toward her on numerous subsequent occasions regarding the laws of snitches, his reminders that he killed snitches, and his habit of arming himself with a gun and a knife. On that same morning, September 7, Susan Rambo noticed that dark stains had discolored the pants defendant was wearing. Later that day, she observed defendant seated near her washing machine, naked, while the machine was operating. Wayne James, another acquaintance of defendant, testified that defendant hated snitches and had told James that he had killed Maureen Bautista because she was going to snitch him off, and that her son had walked in while defendant was killing her, so defendant had to snuff him too. Defendant told James he had killed the Bautistas by stab[bing] them and cut[ting] them up with a knife. [6]