SAN FRANCISCO — A state appeals court has reversed the second-degree murder conviction of Lance E. Laumann of Clearlake, whose girlfriend died during a chase with Sonoma County sheriff”s deputies.
Laumann, 52, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the 1999 death of Sandra Marie Lyndall, 33, of Guerneville, who was killed when Laumann”s car flipped on Eastside Road near the Russian River.
According to reports, on May 8, 1999, after being stopped by Sonoma County deputies, Laumann sped away and ultimately crashed and rolled his 1979 Buick. Lyndall was ejected from the car and suffered fatal head injuries. In addition to second-degree murder, Laumann, then 45, also was found guilty in a separate incident of possession and transportation of methamphetamine, manufacturing the illicit stimulant and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
A three-judge appeals panel cited a state Supreme Court ruling that said car chases as defined by the state vehicle code are not “inherently dangerous to human life” and cannot be grounds for second-degree murder.
According to the panel, Laumann could have been convicted of a murder charge if the jury had concluded that his actions amounted to malice, a finding that requires “a conscious disregard for human life.” However, at trial jurors were not presented with the malice option or its legal definition, the court said.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Christine Cook said her office was reviewing the case and it was inappropriate to comment further.
Contact Rene Morales at rmorales@record-bee.com.
