People v. Harrison CA2/5

FACTS

1. The Murder On July 26, 2014, Vincent Hunter and his mother, Mardie Moore, attended a family birthday party. Also in attendance were defendants Harrison and Frison. Both men considered Moore to be a family member, much like a grandmother or an auntie, even though neither was related to her by blood. In the early morning of July 27, 2014, as the party was winding down, Moore became intoxicated. Hunter put his mother into the front passenger seat of her parked car and reclined it to make her more comfortable. Murder victim Lawson and his assistant repossessed Moore’s car while she slept in it. From his vantage point, Lawson could not see that Moore was in the car. Lawson quickly hooked the car to his tow truck and drove away. His assistant followed in a separate car. They drove to a nearby 7-Eleven, where they intended to more securely attach Moore’s car to the tow truck. Witness Hunter and his brother chased after the tow truck in a Chevy Camaro. Defendant Harrison and his stepbrother joined the chase in Harrison’s SUV. At the 7-Eleven, Hunter got out of the Camaro to tell Lawson that his mother was sleeping in the car but before he could reach Lawson, Hunter heard…