Morgan

Defendant Edward Patrick Morgan appeals from a judgment of the Orange County Superior Court imposing the death penalty following his convictions for first degree murder (Pen. Code, § 187), kidnapping (§ 207, subd. (a)), and unlawful penetration with a foreign object (§ 289). The jury also found true special circumstance allegations that defendant committed the murder while engaged in the commission or attempted commission of (1) a kidnapping (§ 190.2, former subd. (a)(17)(ii)), and (2) unlawful penetration with a foreign object (id., former subd. (a)(17)(xi)). This appeal is automatic. (§ 1239, subd. (b).)

I. FACTS

In the early morning hours of Friday, May 20, 1994, defendant pulled and then dragged 23-year-old Leanora Wong to the far end of an enclosed area in the parking lot of Bergen Brunswig Corporation, a company located behind the Australian Beach Club (the Club) in the city of Orange. The two had met for the first time in the Club that night. Once defendant and Wong were inside the enclosure, defendant twice inserted a sharp serrated object into Wong’s genital area, choked or strangled her, hit her head against concrete, and beat her repeatedly. Wong went into…