United States v. Ryan Seideman

MEMORANDUM

The appellant Ryan Seideman (“Seide-man”) was convicted of murdering Lillian Joleen Lee and sentenced to 327 months in prison. He appeals his conviction for second degree murder pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111 and 1153, and his sentence.

1. Sufficiency of the evidence. Seideman claims there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction for second degree murder. This claim is reviewed do novo. United States v. Odom, 329 F.3d 1032, 1034 (9th Cir.2003). When reviewing a claim that there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction, the court must consider whether, “viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” United States v. Nevils, 598 F.3d 1158, 1163-64 (9th Cir.2010) (en banc) (internal quotations omitted).

Although largely circumstantial, the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support Seideman’s conviction for the murder. Investigators found Seide-man’s semen in a condom in the bathroom sink of Lee’s home, as well as two halves of an open condom wrapper beneath and beside Lee’s body, placing Seideman at the scene at…