Opinion ID: 1169826
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Attempted rape of Sharon Rawls

Text: (15b) Defendant was originally charged with the forcible rape of Sharon Rawls. Thereafter, on defendant's pretrial motion (see § 995), the trial court found the evidence insufficient to hold defendant to answer for the charge of rape, but sufficient to hold him to answer for the charge of attempted forcible rape. Defendant contends that the evidence adduced at trial does not support his conviction for the attempted rape of Rawls. We disagree. Forcible rape is an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a person not the spouse of the perpetrator against the person's will by means of force or violence. (§ 261, subd. (a)(2).) (20) An attempt to commit a crime occurs when the perpetrator, with the specific intent to commit the crime, performs a direct but ineffectual act towards its commission. (§ 21a; People v. Dillon (1983) 34 Cal.3d 441, 452-453 [194 Cal. Rptr. 390, 668 P.2d 697]; see CALJIC No. 6.00 (5th ed. 1988).) (15c) Defendant's prior attack on Durneall H. and the attack on Sharon Rawls shared certain similarities (see, e.g., People v. Sully, supra, 53 Cal.3d at pp. 1222-1223 [evidence of other offenses sharing a number of common marks admissible to show identity]), including the condition in which Rawls's body was found, and the circumstances surrounding defendant's arrest. Rawls was killed in an abandoned apartment building. A month earlier, while assaulting and dragging Durneall H. towards that same building, defendant told H. that he was going to rape and kill her, but H. managed to break free. Rawls's body was found with her underwear and pants pulled down, and she had abrasions on her neck, face and arms. Defendant was detained at the building shortly after the murder of Rawls was committed, the grocery market's letter to Rawls was found in his possession, and the stains of blood consistent with Rawls's blood type were on his sweatshirt. Considered together, the evidence was sufficient to support defendant's conviction of attempted rape of Sharon Rawls.