People v. Willis CA2/2

Filed 1/8/25 P. v. Willis CA2/2 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO THE PEOPLE, B325337

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. MA020235) v.

RYAN O’NEAL WILLIS,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Michael D. Carter, Judge. Affirmed. Verna Wefald, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey, Assistant Attorney General, Ivan Ivri and Yun K. Lee, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. ________________________

Appellant Ryan O’Neal Willis appeals the summary denial of his petition for resentencing under Penal Code section 1172.6 (former 1170.95, Stats. 2022, ch. 58, § 10).1 The jury instructions and the jury’s true findings on two special circumstances show that appellant is ineligible for relief as a matter of law. Accordingly, we affirm. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND I. Facts A. The underlying crime2 Appellant was abusive toward taxicab driver Crystal Stahl (Stahl), with whom he lived for some time. During one fight, appellant hit Stahl repeatedly while he told her, “You’re never going to leave me.” Stahl broke up with him and started dating someone new. Shortly thereafter, appellant attacked her, and she called the police, resulting in appellant’s arrest. Stahl moved in with her new boyfriend. Appellant told his friends he was angry that Stahl had put him in jail and that she was dating a new man. He stated that he was going to kill her, and more specifically, that he would burn her in the taxi she drove and flee to Las Vegas. On January 5, 2000, appellant called the cab service and requested that Stahl pick him up at a gas station. Stahl obliged. Soon thereafter, she was found dead, having been burned alive in her taxicab a mile and a half from where she had picked up appellant.