Let's see your knife

I use a belt sander to sharpen my blades, but mine aren't always precise. Haha.

Statement of Facts

On the evening of December 16, 1987, defendant and three companions, Clifford Knight, David Knight, and Mike Tex, were at the Hard Times Tavern. When the bar closed at midnight, the group left together, taking a six-pack of beer with them.

At approximately 1 a.m. on December 17, Johnny Smith, who was staying at the South Fork Motel, was awakened by someone pounding on the door of the room next to his. Herman Cube, a Southern California Edison employee, was staying in that room. Mr. Smith heard the intruders beating and choking Mr. Cube and repeatedly asking him for his keys. Mr. Cube had a Chevy S-10 Blazer, which belonged to his employer, parked in front of his room. One of the intruders also threatened "to send [Mr. Cube] back to China to his ancestors."

After about 15 minutes of a "continuous beating," defendant and one of his companions went outside and defendant opened the driver's door of the Blazer. Meanwhile, the beating of Mr. Cube continued in the motel room. A few minutes later, defendant and his companion went back to the motel room. Someone then said " 'Mike, lay off the guy, let's go, we got the keys.' "

Defendant entered the driver's side of the Blazer again. Two others immediately followed defendant, holding Mr. Cube, and shoved Mr. Cube into the back seat. Defendant then drove off up the hill. As soon as defendant left, Mr. Smith ran across the street to the Hard Times Tavern and called the sheriff.

While the sheriff's deputies were at the motel gathering information, the Blazer was seen coming back down the hill. Thereafter, a highspeed chase ensued over 13 miles of winding, narrow roads.

The chase was over when the Blazer turned onto a dirt road and stopped where the road ended. Four people then jumped out of the Blazer and ran. Defendant and Clifford Knight were apprehended at that time. David Knight and Michael Tex were arrested later.

At the time of his arrest, defendant appeared to have been drinking, but did not seem highly intoxicated. There was what appeared to be blood on defendant's shoes and pants. During the booking process, defendant threw [5 Cal. App. 4th 649] the keys to Mr. Cube's personal automobile and the motel room key into a garbage can.

Mr. Cube's body was found approximately three miles from South Fork. Although Mr. Cube had been severely beaten, the cause of death was blood loss from a deep, long neck wound which could have been inflicted by a saw found in the Blazer. Large amounts of blood were found in the Blazer and in the motel room. Defendant's fingerprints were found on the Blazer key and on the motel room door. Bloody shoeprints consistent with the shoes defendant was wearing were also found in the motel room. However, no prints matching defendant's shoes were found near the body.