Edmund Earl Reeves v. Lawrence E. Wilson, Warden, California State Prison, San Quentin, California

This appeal is from an order of the District Court for the Northern District of California, following evidentiary hearing, denying appellant's petition for writ of habeas corpus.

Appellant is under sentence of death for first-degree murder. The sole ground asserted for issuance of the writ was inadequate representation by counsel.

Appellant was indicted by the grand jury of Kern County, California, on April 1, 1965. A transcript of the proceedings shows that Paul Leslie Pugh there testified as an eyewitness.

He testified that on March 24, 1965, he was employed as a field gauger for Standard Oil Company. At approximately 9:00-9:30 a. m. he and Floyd Parsons, another oil field worker, drove in separate cars to the New Hope lease located 18 miles north of Bakersfield. Upon arrival Pugh observed a 1959 Ford vehicle near a toolhouse on the lease. Appellant was outside the car, by the open car trunk, pouring something from a five-gallon can into another can in the trunk of his ear.

Pugh and Parsons parked their cars by the field office and as Pugh started his work he saw Parsons walking in the direction of the Ford. Shortly thereafter Pugh heard what he thought was Parsons walking…