Opinion ID: 1801755
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Defendant's conduct and statements after leaving California

Text: Hargrove testified that approximately two days after the commission of the crimes, defendant contacted him by telephone at Hargrove's home. According to Hargrove, defendant told him that he was in El Paso, Texas, and Hargrove told defendant that he needed to come back to California because word had it that he was involved in a murder. Hargrove testified that defendant responded that he did not know what was going on, but that he would return to California. Hargrove also testified that defendant contacted him a second time to let him know he had reached Chicago, but the two did not discuss the homicide. Defendant's brother, Kenya McAllister, testified that during the trip to Chicago, defendant did not mention to Kenya that he had spoken to anyone in Moreno Valley, that he was a witness to or a suspect in a murder, or that it would be necessary for him to return to Moreno Valley. Bender, the investigator, testified that he attempted to locate defendant through the parole system and subsequently was contacted by defendant's father, who informed Bender that defendant would return to California. Bender arranged to interview defendant on September 3, 1991, at a detention center in Riverside. Bender and a second detective, Dan Wilson, were present during this interview, which was recorded, except for several minutes when the first side of the tape ended and the cassette was not turned over promptly. Bender testified that in March 1992, he noticed that Wilson's report concerning the interview did not include all portions of it. At that time, Bender prepared a supplemental report describing the omitted portions of the interview, but he did not learn until January 1998 that a portion of the interview had not been recorded. Transcripts of the recorded portion were provided to the jury, and the recording was played at trial. Bender testified concerning the unrecorded portion of the interview. The transcript of the Riverside interview reflects that Detective Wilson began by informing defendant of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436 [16 L.Ed.2d 694, 86 S.Ct. 1602] ( Miranda ). Defendant confirmed he understood these rights, and that he was willing to speak with the detectives and provide a sample of his blood. The recording was paused while a nurse took a blood sample. When the recording resumed, Detective Wilson asked, you were saying something about you talked to somebody? Defendant responded that he had spoken to a friend, who said defendant was a witness, and that the friend stated he had tried to catch me the day I left. You know, going to Charlotte, North Carolina. Defendant told the detectives that his parole officer had directed him to return to California, and that when he returned, the parole officer informed him that the detectives wished to speak with him. Wilson asked defendant whether he knew what this is in reference to, and defendant responded, I understand a 187, presumably referring to section 187 of the Penal Code, which defines murder. When asked whether he knew who the victim was, defendant responded, I know a, Patricia. They called Pat. . . . Defendant told the detectives that he had spoken to Miller at approximately 8:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m., asking her, `how you doin'?' She told me she . . . was just gettin' off a motorcycle with some guy which I do not know, who was sittin' there drinking a beer. [A]bout five minutes later he told me, `Man let her go, get home.' I let her go. [10] When asked whether he had been at Miller's house that evening, defendant stated he passed by her house and asked her whether her son had told her that I asked about you that Saturday. Defendant said Miller told him that her son had not delivered this information, and defendant then went on. He added that he saw Miller later in the evening and spoke to her again. When asked when he last had seen Miller that evening, defendant stated he saw her as she was going to the laundry room, at approximately 10:30 p.m. When Detective Wilson began to ask him about when [he] was over at Pat's house about 10:00, 10:30, defendant interrupted to say that he wasn't at her house. Defendant added, I stopped there, goin' through that way. He stated he helped her carry her clothes, and they conversed at the laundry room. As he was preparing to leave that room, he and Miller heard gunfire, and they both ducked down. Defendant claimed he then went to Mitchell's home, staying until approximately 2:00 a.m., at which time he went to the taxicab office. When he was unable to arrange for a cab ride, he returned to Mitchell's home, where he stayed until 8:00 a.m. on August 2, when he left to meet his brother to drive to North Carolina. The transcript reflects that defendant then changed his narrative. He stated that after he left Miller, he went to a service station and purchased some cigarettes, and then spent some time in the alley with a man named Reese. When he left Reese, he went to the taxicab office and then to Mitchell's apartment. When Wilson asked defendant whether Reese could vouch for defendant's time that evening, defendant stated he was with Reese maybe ten or fifteen minutes. Maybe less than that. Wilson then observed there's about a four hour period of time . . . from the time you last saw [Miller] to the time you was with Defendant interjected, I went back to [Mitchell's] house, when I left [Miller's], I left [Miller] right after the shootin' and shit, I left [Miller]. I went back to [Mitchell's] house. Then I left again. I left again. Then, I messed around, like I said, I went to the gas station. Four hour period? Where does the four hour period come in? Wilson explained that defendant last saw Miller at approximately 10:00 or 10:30 p.m., and appeared at the taxicab office at approximately 2:00 or 2:30 a.m. Defendant responded, I was probably getting' high or somethin'. When Wilson asked whether defendant had seen anyone else at or around Miller's apartment that night, he responded that there were some guys standin' out front that I don't know. Wilson inquired whether defendant had gone to Miller's apartment immediately before helping her on her way to the laundry room, and had walked back to her apartment from the laundry room. Defendant responded, When I was comin' through, she was comin' out. Wilson asked whether defendant knocked on Miller's door and asked to see her. Defendant responded that he had knocked earlier that evening, and Miller's son had answered the door. Defendant also stated he did not know where Miller went after he left her at the laundry room. Wilson asked defendant whether he ever had been inside Miller's apartment. Defendant responded he had been there approximately one month before her murder, when he went there to see whether she cared to come outside to drink beer. According to defendant, she had declined, but he had visited inside her apartment for 10 or 15 minutes. When Wilson returned to the subject of the time defendant had spent with Reese, defendant stated that Reese had been looking for drugs, but that defendant had not, adding, I don't mess with cocaine. When Wilson inquired whether defendant had ask[ed] anyone about anything, defendant stated, I asked one guy for my friend Mike. (It is not clear who Mike was.) Defendant also stated he did not know how his name came up in this matter, because he did not like Black women. When defendant asked the detectives how Miller was killed, they declined to respond. Returning to the subject of the four-hour period, defendant stated he had smoked some marijuana, spent some time with Reese, and went to Mitchell's apartment at 11:00 p.m. Then, I left, went to the cab company. I then went and got me some cigarettes. I went to the cab company. He urged the detectives to [a]sk Jenny [Turner]. `Jenny, I ain't got no money. I need a ride out JFK and Kitching.' I said `I'm gonna see can I spend the night at my partner's house first.' Defendant then stated that Mitchell agreed to allow defendant to stay at his apartment, and defendant stayed there until 8:00 a.m. the next day. Defendant told the detectives that when he called David Hargrove while traveling to Chicago, he asked Hargrove what crime defendant was suspected of committing, and Hargrove informed him that Miller had been killed. Defendant stated he was cooperating to clear his name, and [b]ecause I'm tryin' to get off this parole. When Bender commented that defendant had been through the drill a couple of times, defendant disagreed, stating: Last time when I caught this rape case, I took a deal for somethin' I didn't do because my lousy friend wouldn't come to court to testify for me. Bender stated that one problem is that when I talked to [Mitchell] and defendant interjected, I already found out. I heard. That he said I didn't spend the night at his house. Defendant claimed Mitchell was lying, because Mitchell had been jumped on the day that Miller's body was discovered, just `cause I knew him. [11] Returning to his telephone conversation with Hargrove, defendant told the detectives that he asked Hargrove what time Miller had been killed, and Hargrove stated, Sometime that night. According to defendant, he responded to Hargrove, That night? I'm at [Mitchell's] house. Defendant then told the detectives, 11:00, I'm at [Mitchell's] house, for a while. And after while I get some cigarettes `cause uh, he was in there basing cocaine. Defendant asserted that a person on cocaine will say anything to save his ass, keep his name out of it. At this point in the interview, the first side of the recording tape ended. After the jury heard the first side of the recording, Bender testified concerning the unrecorded portion. He testified that he falsely told defendant his fingerprints had been found inside Miller's apartment, and defendant attributed the fingerprints to his visit to the apartment one month prior to the crimes. Bender testified that he then falsely asserted that fingerprints would not survive for that period of time. According to Bender, defendant then told him that when he had knocked on Miller's door earlier on August 1 and had spoken to her son, he had gone into the kitchen to get a glass of water, but that was the only time he had been in the apartment. Bender further testified that later in the unrecorded portion of the interview, defendant stated he also had been inside the apartment at approximately 8:30 that evening and drank a beer with Miller. Although genetic testing had not yet been performed, Bender told defendant, during the unrecorded portion of the interview, that defendant's sperm had been found in Miller's vagina. Bender testified that defendant looked down at the floor for what seemed like a long gap at the time, probably, 10 or 15 seconds, and then he looked up at me, and then he started to tell me another story. Bender testified that defendant stated he had not disclosed some facts to Bender earlier, because he did not want to be found in violation of his parole. Bender testified that defendant then admitted he had gone into the apartment, that he had smoked rock cocaine with the victim, and that he and the victim had had sex. According to defendant, Miller became aroused, took her clothes off, pulled defendant's pants down, got on top of him, violently copulated with him, got off him as soon as he ejaculated, put her clothes back on, and left to do laundry. Defendant told Bender that he remained slouched on the couch and passive throughout their encounter, which occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m., soon after Miller had returned from the liquor store. At this point in the interview, it was discovered that the cassette had reached the end and no longer was recording. The transcript reflects that when the recording resumed, Wilson stated that you were sayin' a while ago that . . . somebody in the area told you that . . . her throat had been cut? Defendant responded, Yeah. Wilson inquired, in light of defendant's statement, why defendant had asked how Miller was killed. Defendant responded, That's what I'm tryin' to find out, was it really true. Like you say, you didn't wanna give me no answers, I didn't wanna know, I didn't wanna know if it was true or not. `Cause like I say, at first when the first thing jumped up, I'm a witness. Bender responded, Yeah. Defendant added, Me and [Hargrove]. So I figure the mother-fucker was lying. Bender responded, Yeah. Defendant continued, You said her throat was cut. See what I'm sayin'? [J]ust like, [Hargrove] didn't know what was really goin' on. Bender responded, Uh-huh. Defendant completed his explanation, stating, You know what I'm sayin'? He was tellin' me man, yeah, uh, then [Mitchell] come in and kept sayin' about how your name got twisted all up into this here. It's [Jones]. Bender responded, Yeah. The interview returned to the subject of defendant's sexual encounter with Miller, and defendant reiterated that the sex occurred prior to the conversation in the laundry room. Bender expressed the view that the sexual encounter occurred after they met in the laundry room, and defendant asked, what did I tell you? Bender responded, You told me that it was . . . definitely before Defendant interjected, Was it before? It was before then. Bender stated, No, it's after, and defendant responded, It was after. Bender then explained that it did not make sense that the sexual encounter occurred earlier, when Miller's children were awake. Defendant then stated that I made love right, what, around 9:00, 10:00, and that the gunshots occurred later, [a] little after 10:00. Defendant estimated that approximately 20 minutes elapsed between the time he left after having sex with Miller, and when he returned and went to the laundry room with her. He stated that when the shooting began, he left her; he met Reese and spent 10 to 15 minutes with Reese; he arrived at Mitchell's home way before 10:30 [p.m.] and stayed at Mitchell's home for a few hours, and then left. When Bender inquired whether Mitchell or anyone else knew that defendant and Miller had sex, defendant responded that his sex life was nobody's business. Defendant added, I understand what you're sayin', but what was you tryin' to get at? No. I did not rape [Miller]. Defendant then volunteered that Miller's daughter had not seen him, but her son had come downstairs complaining that his stomach hurt, and defendant had gone to an automobile service station to buy the boy a soda. Bender asked defendant when it was that he had gone to the service station, and defendant stated, right after we had sex. That's when I left, matter of fact, that's when I left. Bender asked defendant again to estimate when he went to Mitchell's home, and defendant stated he had arrived at Mitchell's about ten somethin'. Something, 11:00. I ain't quite sure. Bender then asked defendant why, when Bender asked whether defendant had made love to Miller, defendant came up with this rape thing. Defendant stated that Hargrove had told him that Miller's throat had been cut and she had been raped. Bender responded that I spent all day in that apartment and I didn't know she was raped. At the conclusion of the interview, Detective Wilson explained to defendant that he would not be held, and that defendant's parole officer would determine whether he would be allowed to return to Charlotte, North Carolina. Eight months later, on May 1, 1992, Bender interviewed defendant a second time, at the office of his parole officer in North Carolina. Bender explained in court that the interview was recorded, but the recorder was in a drawer while the first side of the tape recorded, and that part of the recording was unintelligible. Therefore, Bender testified concerning the contents of the unintelligible portion of the interview. He testified that defendant was not under arrest at the time of the interview. He also testified that he informed defendant of his rights under Miranda, supra, 384 U.S. 436, and that defendant said he understood those rights and would speak to Bender. Bender testified he informed defendant that Mitchell and Mitchell's girlfriend were certain defendant had not arrived at their home until approximately 3:00 a.m. on August 2. Bender related that defendant initially was adamant that he had been at their home at 11:00 p.m. on August 1, but after Bender explained that Mitchell and his girlfriend had had company that evening and were certain defendant had not been present when the company visited, defendant stated he may have been out wandering in the neighborhood between 11:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. Bender also testified that during this second interview, defendant said it was closer to about 11 o'clock in the evening, after the laundry was completed and gunshots were heard in the alley, that he and Miller had returned to her apartment, smoked cocaine, and had sex. Bender testified that when he confronted defendant with inconsistencies in his statements, defendant got kind of agitated and said that I was trying to screw him up, that I was trying to trip him up . . . . Bender testified that [a]bout that time, [defendant] remembered or brought up something that he hadn't talked to me about before. Defendant told Bender that just as he was leaving Miller's apartment at approximately 11:00 p.m., another man entered the apartment. Bender testified that defendant said the other man resembled Bender but was taller, thinner, and African-American. [12] The intelligible portion of the recording began when defendant was describing the other man. The recording was played for the jury. The transcript reflects that defendant told Bender that Miller seemed to know the man, but that she did not state his name. Defendant also said that the man stumbled into Miller's apartment, was all drunk, and sat on the bottom step of the interior staircase. Part of defendant's description was unintelligible, but Bender testified that defendant stated the intoxicated individual could not stand without leaning against the banister or the wall, and had difficulty sitting up. The transcript reflects that defendant also told Bender he previously had seen the man in the neighborhood, but the man always was by himself, and defendant did not know anyone with whom the man associated. The transcript reflects that defendant agreed with Bender that it would have been logical to mention this other person when defendant first was questioned about Miller's death, and defendant stated that he thought he had mentioned the other person to Bender during the first interview. At trial, Bender was certain defendant had not mentioned the other person earlier. Bender also noted at trial that in the earlier interview, defendant had denied that anyone else was at the apartment, and when Detective Wilson had commented in the earlier interview, apparently somebody else after you saw her alive, defendant had responded, I guess. Defendant also stated in the earlier interview, I don't know whoever, whatever, whoever was there when I left, I don't know what happened. Bender testified that he did not investigate the existence of the intoxicated individual, because he was certain defendant was not being truthful. At the conclusion of the interview, Bender arrested defendant for the rape and murder of Miller.