LAKE COUNTY — Former Lower Lake firefighter Wilbur H. Cope, 38, was sentenced to 74 years to life in prison Monday for second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for a September 2006 shooting spree, according to his defense attorney Stephen Carter.
Cope was accused of shooting and killing Clearlake resident Kristen Raviotta and attempting to murder his ex-wife, Michelle Cain, her husband, Terry Cain and neighbor Sharon England. He pleaded guilty to the charges in September.
“Physical injury, depression and drug use was a combination that led to tragedy for Mr. Cope and the people he harmed. By voluntarily entering into this disposition Mr. Cope has made sure that the surviving victims and their families do not have to go through a long trial and will not be forced to relive what took place,” Carter said.
Cope”s sentence included a term of 15 years to life for the second-degree murder of Raviotta, and nine years for the attempted murder of Terry Cain. Two enhancing charges that Cope used a firearm added 25 years apiece.
“That”s about half of what he was facing for first-degree murder,” Carter said. He said before the plea, Cope originally faced 140 years in state prison.
Cope shot and killed Raviotta, who was his ex-girlfriend, during a domestic dispute in Cope”s vehicle on Sept. 10, 2006, according to a press release from Lake County District Attorney Jon Hopkins. The sound of the gunshot that killed Raviotta was recorded, because Raviotta was on her cell phone with a 9-1-1 dispatcher when she was shot, he said.
Hopkins said Cope then sped to the Cain home, where he shot England when she and other neighbors came to help him after he crashed into a telephone pole. Cope yelled for the Cains to come to the door. Terry Cain took the full force of three shotgun blasts Cope fired at the couple at point-blank range, according to Hopkins.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
