Morales v. California Department of Corrections

FLOYD R. GIBSON, Senior Circuit Judge:

Jose Morales appeals the district court’s denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

I. BACKGROUND

In 1971, Morales was convicted for the first degree murder of his girlfriend. When she was found, it was discovered that her thumb had been cut off. After being transferred to a half-way house in April 1980, he married a woman who had visited him during his incarceration. In May, Morales was paroled; his wife disappeared two months later. Approximately two weeks after she disappeared, her hand was discovered on…