Kenneth Estes v. State Idaho

Kenneth Estes appeals from the district court's denial of his petition for post conviction relief and his motion for a new trial. Because we find no merit in Estes' many allegations of error, we affirm the trial court. Although the facts of this case were extensively set out in State v. Estes, 111 Idaho, 423, 725 P.2d 128 (1986), Estes' direct appeal from his conviction, a full statement of the facts is helpful to resolution of the issues raised here. In the early morning hours of May 18, 1979, at approximately 2:00 a.m., Julie Ann Somerton, an 18 year old who was working in Cascade, Idaho, and staying at the Cascade Hotel, was raped. Immediately after the rape, Ms. Somerton told the bartender that Estes was her assailant. Ms. Somerton was readily able to identify Estes because the evening before Estes had offered to buy her a drink at the bar, which she had declined.