Terry King v. Bruce Westbrooks

OPINION

KAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge.

This death penalty case arises out of the kidnapping and murder of Diana K. Smith by Petitioner-Appellant Terry King. Following the district court’s dismissal of King’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus, we granted a certificate of appealability on two issues: whether trial counsel was ineffective for failing to present during the trial testimony about King’s intoxication at the time of the murder and whether trial counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate adequately King’s mental health and to obtain expert assistance in a timely manner.…