Opinion ID: 1801800
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Defendant's Statements to David DeSoto

Text: In April 1987, David DeSoto, a four-time felon, was an inmate in the Los Angeles County jail on charges of burglary and assault with intent to commit rape; defendant was a fellow inmate. [8] DeSoto was interviewed by investigator Riba and Detective Martinez at the jail on May 5, 1988. Riba and Martinez had gone to the jail looking for a man named Mark Conway, which was one of DeSoto's several aliases. They had come in response to DeSoto's calls to the Fresno County District Attorney's Office. DeSoto hoped that by providing information about defendant, he could get his bail reinstated, but it was not. He admitted that he had falsely attempted to make it appear to the investigators as if he had known defendant prior to April 1987. Neither Riba nor Martinez disclosed to DeSoto any reports of their investigation into Urban's murder or any details of the investigation. DeSoto told the investigators that the victim had been shot in the head and chest. Subsequently, at trial, DeSoto testified that he had had a number of conversations with defendant in April 1987. According to DeSoto, defendant told him he committed a murder and the guy that was with him got arrested behind him. Defendant told him the murder involved a person who owed money for drugs. The victim was a youngster. DeSoto testified that defendant told him that [t]he person he was with shot [the victim] twice. The guy didn't go down, or didn't die . . . so [defendant] said he had to do it to make sure he was dead. He said the victim was shot in the head and the chest. According to DeSoto, defendant told him that after the killing, the victim's body was wrapped up and left in a ditch near some fields. He also told DeSoto that the victim had been in possession of some jewelry, which he and Holt removed. He said defendant told him the victim was wearing a blue western shirt. [9] DeSoto testified that the other person involved was named Smitty, and that defendant was concerned that Smitty was gonna . . . tell on him or snitch on him behind it. DeSoto testified that defendant asked him to make a phone call to Smitty's girlfriend, Jo. [10] DeSoto made the call, and told her he had a message from defendant for Holt to hold his mug and not to say nothin' and . . . that he felt bad about Holt having been arrested.