Opinion ID: 3030011
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence of Allen’s Guilt

Text: Allen’s own son Kenneth directly tied Allen to the Fran’s Market triple-murder and conspiracy, testifying as to Allen’s plotting and recruiting of Hamilton, Kathy, and himself. Brady corroborated Kenneth’s testimony, explaining that Allen attempted to recruit both Hamilton and Brady to kill those who had testified against Allen, and describing how he housed Hamilton immediately after the triple-murder. Extensive evidence corroborated Kenneth’s and Brady’s testimony and supported the jury’s guilty verdict. Joe Rainier testified that Allen told him Hamilton was going to take care of “some rats” for him, that Hamilton would be paid for the job and that “Kenny [would] take care of transportation.” Rainier also testified that he saw Allen and Hamilton talking together in the prison yard every day for the four to six weeks preceding Hamilton’s release. Even Kathy Allen, one of Allen’s biggest supporters, testified that when she and Kenneth visited Allen, she heard Allen mention “guns for witnesses.” In addition, the police found the list of witnesses against Allen in Hamilton’s possession and a mug shot of Hamilton — to which Allen had access in prison — in Kenneth and Kathy’s home. Most damning of all, though, was the evidence that came directly from Allen. He admitted writing letters to Kenneth 962 ALLEN v. WOODFORD and Kathy about “Country” Hamilton coming to town. In those letters, Allen implied or spoke directly about the harm he hoped would befall the witnesses against him. On August 26, 1980, for example, Allen wrote “Hey, I hear a ‘country’ music show is coming to ‘town’ around September 3rd.” Kenneth testified that “show” meant murder. The letter went on, “ ‘Remember’ September 3? Around that date ya all plan on listening to a lot of good ol’ ‘country’ music, okay? Just for me. You know how I like ‘country.’ ” The following day, Allen wrote another letter, entitled, “Happy days ahead.” This letter stated, “Now remember around September 3rd, have everything ready so ya all can go to that ‘country’ music show. I know ya all really ‘enjoy yourselves.’ I know you kids never liked ‘country’ music before, but I bet when you hear that dude on lead guitar, you will be listening to it at least once a week. Ha-ha.” Allen further asked Kenneth to “give his best” to Carl Mayfield: “Tell him I am thinking of him and I hope to see him one day, but I am sure he knows that already.” Allen also called Shirley Doeckel a “snitch bitch” and wished her “many, many more” problems. He wrote of “his dog,” Hamilton, leaving Folsom and wanting to find and meet “Chuckettea” (a.k.a. Chuck Jones). Allen also wrote that Hamilton wanted to meet “Mr. Jones and Mr. Mayfield and a few other good friends” and that “he might move out close to Raisin City,” home of Ben Meyer. Allen further admitted asking Hamilton to go see Kenneth and Kathy in Fresno; at first he claimed that he had merely asked Hamilton to visit his children and grandchildren, but he eventually admitted that Hamilton was to unload a “hot gun” from Kenneth and Kathy. The jury was also able to examine several of Allen’s poems, some of which emoted over and identified with the life of a contract hit man, including the following “Allen Gang” poem: Ray and his sons are known as the Allen Gang. Sometimes you have often read ALLEN v. WOODFORD 963 how we rob and steal and for those who squeal are usually found dying or dead. The road gets slimmer and slimmer and at times it is hard to see, but we stand like a man robbing every place we can, because we know we’ll never be free. Someday it will be over and they will bury us side by side. To some it will be grief, but to us it’s relief knowing we finally found a safe place to hide. Allen’s testimony was fraught with damaging inconsistencies and implausible explanations. He admitted lying and telling his associates that Lee Furrow had been killed in Mexico. He implausibly asserted that he had not directed or been involved in killing Mary Sue Kitts, but that he had only “assisted in the disposal of her body.” Allen also testified that he “barely even knew . . . Billy Ray Hamilton” and that he only “talked to him maybe three or four times,” although he referred to Hamilton numerous times as “his good dog” (which, as he testified, meant “close acquaintance”) in his letters to Kenneth and Kathy. Allen testified inconsistently as to whether he went to San Diego to cash money orders stolen from Fran’s Market and whether the Schletewitzes had come to his house to pressure him to pay money that he owed them. After having his memory refreshed by a tape recording, Allen also admitted lying about having had Kathy Allen “call the Schletewitzes and act as if she were Mary Sue Kitts.” Questioned repeatedly about the inmate photos in his cell, Allen finally asserted that he was “planning on writing a book about twelve convicts that [he] got acquainted with in Folsom.” Allen further testified about much of his prior criminal history, including his knowing solicitation of someone — Larry Green — that he considered to be “a very dangerous man” 964 ALLEN v. WOODFORD and knew “might kill somebody” to commit burglaries. Finally, Allen provided illuminating testimony regarding his hatred of snitches. Among many other statements, Allen explained: “[W]hen a guy puts a rat jacket on himself, killing them would do them a favor.”