People v. Merriman

Opinion

CANTIL-SAKAUYE, C. J.,

In 2001, a jury convicted defendant Justin James Merriman of the 1992 first degree murder of Katrina Montgomery (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a)), 1 and found tme the special circumstance allegations that the murder was committed while defendant was engaged in the commission of rape and oral copulation (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(17)(C), (F)), and the allegation that defendant personally used a deadly weapon (former § 12022, subd. (b)). The jury also convicted defendant of numerous noncapital crimes that occurred subsequent to the murder, including multiple counts of sexual…