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Thread: Robert Zane Curl - California Death Row

  1. #1
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    Robert Zane Curl - California Death Row





    Summary of Offense:

    On March 23, 1987, Duane Holt shared a residence with Nevallene Joanne Holt Routh and her two teen-aged sons at the corner of Hughes and Hedges Streets in Fresno. Holt was a drug dealer and sold drugs out of his house. He and Nevi Jo were both methamphetamine or “crank” users. The Holt residence was also something of a gathering spot for young men who came and worked on cars in the yard. One of those young men was the victim, Richard Urban, who had previously purchased crank from Holt. Defendant and his girlfriend, Penny Baxter, were also frequent visitors to the Holt residence in March 1987, visiting almost every day. Like the others, defendant and Baxter were crank users. On March 23, defendant and Baxter dropped in at the Holt residence three times. During their final visit, in the evening, Holt received a phone call that made him angry. After he hung up, he told defendant that “Rich” owed him $130 and that some people should be made an example of for not paying. According to Baxter, defendant told Holt, “You just have to do what you have to do.” Holt said that “Rich was coming over.” About 10 minutes after the phone conversation, Urban arrived in a van.

    Holt asked Urban where his money was. Urban told him he did not have it because he had been kidnapped earlier that day. Instead, he offered Holt a set of rings in payment; the rings were gold and set with black onyx. As they drove home in defendant’s truck Baxter noticed a bag on the seat of the truck between defendant and her. She went to move it, but defendant told her Holt refused but did accept some drugs from Urban telling him, however, that he still owed him the money. At some point, Holt said he had to go down the street and he, Urban, and defendant left the house in defendant’s truck. When defendant and Holt returned 35 to 40 minutes later; they were sweaty and jumpy. According to Randy Little, who was working on cars at Holt’s house, they asked for a rope or a cable to start Urban’s van. Eventually, they pushed it out of the yard.

    Defendant and Holt then went into the Holt residence. Baxter saw what she thought might be blood smeared on Holt’s face; she remembered that Holt appeared to be nervous. Defendant and Holt went into a bedroom. They emerged a few minutes later and then defendant and Baxter left. On the morning of March 24, 1987, while delivering newspapers, Eusebio Duran saw a man’s body off to the side of Dickinson street between the road and a vineyard. The area surrounding the spot was agricultural and covered with vineyards. Duran delivered a few more papers and then made a U-turn and drove slowly past the body. The man was face up, with his arms to his side, and there was a large pool of blood around his head.

    Pete Chavez, a detective with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, arrived at the scene about 5:45 a.m. The weather was cold and wet as there had been rain a few days earlier. Chavez observed that the man’s body was on its right side and there was blood beneath his head and upper body area. The man was clad in white pants, a tan jacket, and black tennis shoes. There were three sets of shoe prints around the body; these were photographed. When Chavez approached the body he saw injuries to the head. In the man’s right hand were car keys. The keys were later identified by Mardeau Hipp as belonging to the van she had borrowed from her father. The man was Richard Urban. According to Jerry Nelson, the pathologist, the cause of death was gunshot wounds to Urban’s brain, cerebrum and brain stem.

    Curl was sentenced to death in Fresno County on July 15, 1993.

  2. #2
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    No. 09-7553 *** CAPITAL CASE *** (direct appeal)
    Title:
    Robert Zane Curl, Petitioner
    v.
    California
    Docketed: November 16, 2009
    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of California
    Case Nos.: (S034072)
    Decision Date: May 18, 2009
    Rehearing Denied: July 8, 2009

    ~~~Date~~~ ~~~~~~~Proceedings and Orders~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Oct 6 2009 Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due December 16, 2009)
    Dec 23 2009 Order extending time to file response to petition to and including February 16, 2010.
    Feb 16 2010 Brief of respondent California in opposition filed.
    Mar 4 2010 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of March 19, 2010.
    Mar 22 2010 Petition DENIED.

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.a...es/09-7553.htm

  3. #3
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On March 9, 2010, Curl filed a habeas petition before the California Supreme Court.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...doc_no=S180828

  4. #4
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    Curl's habeas case has been fully briefed before the California Supreme Court since May 9, 2014.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...hRMCAgCg%3D%3D

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