Frierson

I. Background

This case arises from Frierson’s 1978 kidnaping and rob- bery of Edgardo Kramer and Guillermo Bulnes, and his execution-style murder of Kramer. The California Supreme Court described the events leading up to the shootings as fol- lows:

On January 3, 1978, Kramer and Bulnes, two Peru- vian airline employees, drove to the Holly Aire Motel in Inglewood to visit a woman named Chris. Bulnes knocked on the door to room 18 and told the young woman who responded—later identified as Zondre Wooley—that he was looking for Chris. . . . Wooley later said that Chris would arrive shortly. Bulnes and Kramer then sat in Bulnes’s car parked across the street from the motel.

Soon thereafter, [Frierson] approached the car and asked if they were waiting for Chris. When Bulnes said that they were, [Frierson] drew a gun and pointed it at Bulnes. He entered the back seat behind 1 Concurrent with the filing of this opinion, we filed a memorandum dis- position affirming the denial of Frierson’s claims of error on the special circumstances issues raised in his petition. See Frierson v. Woodford, No. 04-99002 (memorandum). FRIERSON v. WOODFORD 11315 the two men, and…