People v. McRath CA3

BACKGROUND

On the evening of September 2, 2020, Smith, McRath, McRath’s girlfriend F.W., and Kevin S. drove to an America’s Best Value Inn where Kevin was staying. F.W. drove them in an SUV belonging to A.K. Shelvin Sharma was Kevin’s cousin and stayed at the Inn with Kevin. Inn surveillance videos showed that at 9:44 p.m. three individuals exited an SUV and approached room 119. Three minutes later, a person fell to the ground outside the room. An individual wearing a black, long-sleeve sweatshirt with a white box on the back and dark pants ran to the SUV and opened the front passenger door. A person with long hair wearing a red shirt and black shorts followed. The person in the black sweatshirt ran back to the Inn room with his arm raised just above his waist and an object in his hand. A third person, wearing a dark shirt and light-colored pants, ran to the driver’s side rear passenger door of the SUV with something that appeared to be a bag, followed by the person in the black sweatshirt, who got in the front passenger seat. The person wearing the red shirt got in the passenger’s side rear seat. The SUV sped away at 9:48 p.m. A deputy sheriff dispatched to the Inn found Sharma…