People v. Williams CA3

BACKGROUND

To facilitate our review, we will state the relevant background facts from this court’s opinion in defendant’s previous appeal from the underlying conviction. (People v. Williams, supra, C001524.) One evening in 1985, Tanimoto was found lying unconscious at the bottom of the stairs leading to her apartment in downtown Sacramento. She was found clutching a cloth strap in her hand, but there was no purse attached. One hour earlier, she had been walking home carrying a purse with a shoulder strap. Tanimoto died two weeks later due to head injuries and associated complications consistent with a severe fall from a stairway onto concrete. Several days after Tanimoto’s death, an informant told police that defendant told him that he had snatched an Asian woman’s purse in the downtown area. Defendant said he had run down some stairs and grabbed her purse, but the woman held on to the purse and fell down the stairs. Defendant also said he took the purse, which contained money and credit cards. Tanimoto’s purse was never found. Defendant later told the informant defendant had called the hospital and found out Tanimoto’s condition was improving. Defendant said he was hiding out at…