Opinion ID: 1377397
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The 7-Eleven Murder

Text: Alvin Owens was an employee at a 7-Eleven store in Whittier. Alfred Coward, known as Blackie, testified as an immunized witness and gave the following account of Owens's death: Approximately 10:30 p.m. on February 27, 1979, defendant came to Coward's house. The two went to the home of James Garrett (where defendant was staying) and defendant went inside, returning with a sawed-off shotgun. He was accompanied by a man named Darryl, who was wearing a brown corduroy jacket. The three men made several stops, including one to obtain Sherms (cigarettes containing phencyclidene (PCP)). They all shared a Sherm cigarette, and then picked up Tony Simms, who was dressed in a green jogging suit and a cap. Defendant shared a second Sherm with Coward and Simms, and asked Simms if he knew where he could make money in Pomona. Taking two cars, the foursome made two unsuccessful restaurant and liquor store robbery attempts, [1] and eventually went to a 7-Eleven store where Owens, the victim, was sweeping the parking lot. Simms and Darryl went into the store followed by Owens, defendant and Coward. Coward testified he saw no one with a weapon except defendant, who approached Owens and told him to keep walking. Owens walked toward the back rooms of the store with defendant and Coward following him. Defendant told Owens to lie down and Owens complied. Coward heard a gun being loaded, heard a shot and glass breaking, [2] followed by two more shots. The group then returned to Simms's house where the money was divided. [3] Simms asked why defendant had shot Owens and defendant explained he did not want to leave any witnesses. He also said the shotgun shells could not be traced and that he had retrieved a few of them. Coward saw defendant later that morning at the home of defendant's brother. He stated defendant told his brother, You should have heard the way he sounded when I shot him. Defendant then made a growling noise and laughed hysterically for a number of minutes.