Kimbrough

MEMORANDUM *

*600 Gordon R. Kimbrough (“Kimbrough”) appeals the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition. Kimbrough seeks federal habeas relief from his state court conviction for first-degree murder of his fiancee, Kristy Ramsey, on the ground that he was denied his constitutional right to the effective assistance of counsel. We affirm.

On the morning of June 21, 1993, police found Kimbrough in the bedroom of the apartment he shared with Ramsey. Ramsey’s dead body was lying on the floor nearby. There were contusions on Ramsey’s face, her neck had been stabbed straight through with a knife, and an electrical cord had been wrapped repeatedly around her throat and secured with a knot.

At his trial for Ramsey’s murder, Kimbrough took the stand in his own defense. Kimbrough testified that he punched, stabbed, and strangled Ramsey on the night of June 20. Kimbrough further testified that he had committed these acts in the heat of passion after Ramsey informed him that she was breaking off their engagement. The prosecution introduced forensic evidence concerning the extent of Ramsey’s injuries, witness testimony that the attack had gone on for at least eight minutes,…