People v. Syas CA3

FACTS

On February 5, 2011, Pamela Johnson’s son, Kenneth, found her badly beaten on the floor of her apartment. There was blood on her clothing, as well as the carpet, furniture, ceiling, air conditioner, and window blinds. She was deceased when emergency personnel arrived. Sacramento sheriff’s deputies found a bent and bloody kitchen-type knife in one of the couches and a bloody hammer behind the cushion of the love seat. The cause of death was a combination of blunt injuries to the head followed by sharp injuries to the neck. Pamela had been hit with a blunt object at least 30-37 times and cut or stabbed with a sharp object 10 times. She had 17 lacerations on her head, six to eight bruises on her face and scalp, and multiple skull fractures. Her left eye socket was fractured into multiple pieces. She had a rectangular bruise and a scratch on her neck; bruising on her chest, breasts, arms, and hands; and a broken finger. These injuries were consistent with defensive injuries to ward off the blunt force injuries to her head. Her injuries were consistent with being struck by both the blunt edge and the claw of the hammer found at the scene. She had small stab wounds on her torso…