P. v. Bratton CA5
When this homicide occurred, appellant and Keel were cellmates at Kern Valley State Prison, a level IV maximum security prison. Appellant and Keel chose to live together, and they had resided in the same cell for about seven months. At trial, appellant told the jury that Keel had been his friend. According to appellant, Keel had been a good cellmate.
Both at trial and in the present appeal, appellant admits that he killed Keel. During opening statements below, the defense conceded that appellant had killed Keel using his hands and feet, and it was bloody. The jury learned that Keel had been badly beaten inside the cell he shared with appellant. Keel died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head. He had multiple fractures to his skull and forehead, and one of his eyes was detached. Keel had aspirated blood in his lungs. He had a postmortem ligature injury to his neck, and the thyroid cartilage in his neck was fractured.
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