People v. Williams

Defendant Corey Leigh Williams was convicted of the first degree murders of Maria Elena Comeo and Maria Eugenia (Gina) Roberts. The jury returned true findings on the special circumstances of multiple murder and murder in the commission of burglary and robbery. It found that defendant personally used a firearm in both murders, and that his codefendant was armed with a firearm. Defendant was also convicted of two counts of first degree robbery and one count of first degree burglary, all with personal firearm use, arising from the same incident.

Defendant was given the death penalty. This appeal is automatic. We affirm the judgment.

I. FACTS

A. Guilt Phase

1. Prosecution

Maria Elena Comeo, age 74, lived with her disabled daughter, Gina Roberts, age 53. Mrs. Corneo owned a restaurant in Concord, and did not trust banks. When the restaurant closed each evening she would take the paper currency home in her apron. Periodically she would consolidate the proceeds into $100 bills, which she kept in her car.

The victims were discovered by another of Mrs. Comeo’s daughters, Lili Williams, on August 16, 1995. Williams had last seen Comeo and Roberts the previous evening at the…