Opinion ID: 2639471
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Defendant's Statements to Darlene

Text: Darlene testified under a grant of immunity. She stated that a day or two after Debbie disappeared, she was at the Exxon station in Placerville with defendant, cleaning defendant's car, when she discovered a unicorn key chain. She recognized the key chain as Debbie's. She stated that defendant asked her to put it back into Debbie's belongings. However, on two other occasions during her testimony, she said the key chain belonged to Denise. Then she corrected herself and said the key chain was Debbie's and that she put the key chain into Debbie's drawer at the foster home. Darlene claimed that at the Exxon station, defendant told her [h]e had strangled [Denise], stabbed her [and] had sexual intercourse with her. She said defendant told her [h]e had strangled [Lynda], stabbed her and had sexual intercourse with her. She said defendant told her [h]e strangled [Debbie], stabbed her and had sexual intercourse with her. She responded, I don't know when asked whether defendant had sexual relations before or after he killed the girls. She said defendant was able to do this to the girls because he handcuffed their hands and tied their feet. She was not asked, nor did she offer any further details about the murders other than to say that defendant's statements kind of upset [her] [a]n awful lot. On cross-examination, she stated that prior to testifying, she had spoken to Ron Tepper, the trial prosecutor, and Sergeant Wilson each about 50 times. She asserted that the only time defendant talked to her about the murders was that one time at the Exxon station. She said defendant told her he stabbed Denise in the stomach. Shortly thereafter, however, she changed her testimony and stated defendant stabbed Denise in the chest. She reiterated that defendant told her he tied Denise's feet, but when confronted with the fact that Denise ran away, she immediately said, No, he didn't have time to tie up her feet. She insisted that defendant told her both Denise and Lynda were killed near North South Road. Both girls' bodies, however, were found near Ferrari Mill Road. Defendant married Darlene on September 15, 1984, but he ended the relationship less than two months later, on November 7 or 8, 1984. Darlene admitted that she and defendant were no longer together as of November 7, 1984, and that defendant left her for another woman. On November 9, 1984, Joanna and Darlene were together at the sheriff's station. Sergeant Wilson and Joanna told Darlene that Joanna witnessed Denise's murder. Sergeant Wilson provided Darlene with the details of Denise's murder. Defendant was arrested for the murders on November 10, 1984. Darlene admitted she first told police about the Exxon conversation after her conversation with Joanna and about two weeks after defendant was arrested.