Finch lying on the back lawn of the home of defendant Finch's father adjoining defendant Finch's home. Two police cars arrived at the Finch home about midnight and one of the officers discovered the body of Mrs. the West Covina Police Department received a call from the Finch maid, Marie Ann Lidholm. in a position almost directly below the Finch residence. Upon arrival in West Covina they parked in the South Hills Country Club parking lot at about 10:30 p.m. 38 revolver, live cartridges, a butcher knife, two hypodermic needles, two syringes, two 10-foot coils of laundry rope, a flashlight, seconal in pill and liquid form, and various other items. They were carrying with them an attache case containing a. In the evening of that day the two started driving to West Covina in defendant Tregoff's car. Carole Tregoff met Finch at the airport and they talked until the early morning hours of July 18. He carried with him a large suitcase and an attache case. In the late evening of July 17, 1959, Finch took a plane to Las Vegas. ![]() Finch in the pending divorce action and not to kill her.ĭefendant Finch was a frequent visitor in Las Vegas for the purpose of seeing his paramour. However, they asserted their purpose was to obtain evidence that might be used against Mrs. Both defendants admitted meeting Cody and admitted they hired him. Cody did nothing for the money paid him nor, according to his testimony, did he ever intend to do anything. Finch and that he was paid the sum of $1,000 in cash to accomplish this act. Cody testified in substance that the defendants hired him to murder Mrs. While there, through an intermediary, she met one Jack Cody. Finch sought temporary alimony and child support.ĭuring May and June 1959 defendant Tregoff was living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Finch was served with a divorce complaint and an order to show cause by which Mrs. Finch learned of the meretricious relationship and on March 21, 1959, Dr. She obtained an interlocutory decree of divorce from her husband in January of 1959. An illicit relationship developed between the two which culminated in her becoming his mistress. In 1955 defendant Tregoff became employed as receptionist at the medical center. The family lived in a hilltop home overlooking the city. Finch and a brother-in-law were operating a medical clinic in the city of West Covina. In April of 1953 a son, Raymond, was born to Doctor and Mrs. She had a daughter by a previous marriage. Both had been married previously and divorced. It will only be necessary to present an outline of the evidence since defendant Finch does not challenge the sufficiency thereof and defendant Tregoff challenges it only with respect to sustaining the verdict against her of conspiracy to commit murder in the State of California.ĭoctor and Mrs. The special pleas were submitted to the jury and the jury found for the People on each of such pleas. ![]() Defendant Tregoff entered a plea of prior acquittal of conspiracy and once in jeopardy for the same offense. Each defendant appeals from the judgment of conviction and from the order denying the motion for new trial.īefore the commencement of the third jury trial defendant Finch entered pleas of prior acquittal of conspiracy, former conviction of second degree murder, and once in jeopardy as to both counts alleged. Sentences were ordered to be served concurrently. Defendant Tregoff was sentenced to state prison for the term prescribed by law on count I and life imprisonment on count II. ![]() Defendant Finch was sentenced to life imprisonment on both counts. On the issue of penalty the jury fixed defendant Finch's sentence at life imprisonment on both counts and defendant Tregoff's penalty on the conspiracy count at life imprisonment. In a third jury trial, both defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder defendant Finch was found guilty of murder in the first degree, and defendant Tregoff guilty of murder in the second degree. The first and second jury trials resulted in mistrials being declared because of the inability of the jurors to agree upon a verdict. Several overt acts were alleged in the conspiracy count. The Los Angeles County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging defendants with murder, in violation of section 187 of the Penal Code, in count I, and conspiracy to commit murder, in violation of section 182 of the Penal Code, in count II. James, Assistant Attorney General, and Gordon Ringer, Deputy Attorney General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. Stanley Mosk, Attorney General, William E. RAYMOND BERNARD FINCH et al., Defendants and Appellants.Ĭooper & Nelson, Maxwell S.
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