Opinion ID: 2588509
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Evidence Pertaining to All Counts

Text: Sergeant Mark O'Connell of the Alameda Police Department examined defendant's revolver and found there were four expended casings and one live round remaining. Lansing Lee, a criminalist for the Oakland Police Department, examined the revolver found on defendant and the four bullets removed from the bodies of Mui Luong, Peter Baeza, Daniel McDermott, and from the vicinity of John Myers. Lee concluded with virtually absolute certainty that the bullets fired at Baeza and Myers came from defendant's gun. Lee's analysis indicated the bullet recovered from McDermott came from the gun, and the analysis suggested the bullet that injured Luong also came from that source. It was highly unlikely that any of the bullets were fired from a gun other than defendant's.
Defendant denied shooting anyone at the Taco Bell, the Gourmet Market or in a taxicab on October 17, 1990. Defendant testified he cashed a check for $170 on October 15. He had instructed Robin Menefee never to ask whether he had money; defendant always told people he was broke. When Robin Menefee left defendant's presence, he spent the rest of the evening of October 17 unsuccessfully looking for certain individuals. After his search, he sat on his grandmother's porch, disgusted that she would not answer. Defendant's grandmother, Norah Marks, testified that defendant came by after 10:00 p.m., after which time she does not open her door. Menefee returned and told defendant that her cousin, Felix Mitchell, wanted to talk to him. Defendant then obtained the gun presented in the People's case. It was the first time in his life he had ever possessed a firearm. He was to transport it to a mystery drug location on High Street for $150. Defendant later bought some groceries on Webster Street for Menefee and himself. They were waiting at a bus stop so defendant could bring the gun to High Street, when police arrested defendant. Sergeant Mark Landes examined defendant's hands for gunshot residue four hours after the shooting. They were clean. Joseph Fabiny, a criminalist for the Alameda County Sheriffs Department, testified that gunshot residue would more likely be found on someone if he or she had fired four shots instead of one. On May 27, 1991, Fabiny examined the jacket recovered by the People for gunshot residue and found none.
Sergeant Mark O'Connell interviewed defendant just past midnight on October 18, 1990. Defendant told Sergeant O'Connell he had found the gun a couple of days earlier. Lieutenant Daniel Voznik also questioned defendant in the early morning hours after the shootings. Defendant explained he had found the gun in some bushes on San Pablo Avenue two days prior to the shooting. He did not mention that someone had given it to him to transport in exchange for $150. Johnny Wemken was working as court bailiff on the afternoon of March 31, 1994. He observed defendant conversing with another inmate charged with murder, Latonya Harris. Harris asked defendant why he was in custody, and defendant answered that he was in for three murders. When she asked how they died, defendant answered, I shot them.
Harris confirmed some of Bailiff Wemken's testimony. She asked defendant about his charges, and he responded that he was fighting a murder charge. When she asked how they died, he answered, They got shot. He did not say, I shot them.

The People presented evidence of specific instances of defendant's misconduct against both civilians and law enforcement officers. The People also presented evidence of the effect of the murders on the families of Daniel McDermott and Peter Baeza.