People v. Morlett CA4/3

FACTS

I.

MORLETT MOVES IN WITH HIS FATHER, BUT IS THEN TOLD HE MUST LEAVE,

PROMPTING HIS ANGER TOWARD HIS STEP MOTHER

In the Summer of 2013, Morlett, 20 years old, was kicked out of his biological mother’s home where he had been residing. After several weeks of homelessness, his father took him in. He took Morlett’s younger brother in at around the same time. Morlett’s father was married to Jeanne Morlett at

2 the time, who also lived there.1 While living there, Morlett was provided free food and clothes. According to Morlett’s younger brother, Jeanne was kind and helpful to both of them. Morlett and Jeanne seemed to have a “cordial” relationship. Not long after Morlett had moved in, however, he received upsetting news: his father and stepmother were planning to downsize and move into a smaller unit. As a result, Morlett grew angry and felt that they were pushing him out of the house. Morlett felt that Jeanne was the one who wanted to kick him out of the house and send him to a charitable mission, which sparked or exacerbated his anger toward her. He then began expressing that antipathy to others. For instance, on June 25, 2013, he posted a social media message stating, “I…