People v. Mitchell CA1/1

I.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On December 16, 2011, Foster City police officers responded to Gachter’s residence.1 When the officers arrived, they found Gachter on his kitchen floor covered in blood with broken glass around his head. Gachter had sustained multiple lacerations on his head and chest. A steak knife covered in blood, matching the other knives in his kitchen, was located next to his feet. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later revealed that Gachter had suffered multiple stab wounds to his chest, face, and neck. He also sustained a scalp laceration and rib fracture, along with displaying defensive wounds on his hands. A single key was located in the deadbolt of the door leading from the backyard into the kitchen, and there were no signs of forced entry into the residence. Police officers investigated Gachter’s death for several years and eventually learned that appellant—Gachter’s godson—stood to inherit 10 percent of Gachter’s estate, which was valued at $7 million. The police also discovered that following Gachter’s death, appellant had secured loans against his expected inheritance from two probate lending companies. In November 2016,…