The Lake County Criminal Grand Jury indicted Willy Tujays Timmons for the June murder of his girlfriend, Vanessa Niko.
In addition to the murder charge, the Grand Jury returned indictments for torture, mayhem and spousal abuse.
Timmons entered a plea of not guilty to murder by reason of insanity.
This matter has been continued to January 9, at 8:15 a.m. for further proceedings.
Timmons, 37 of Upper Lake, was accused by the District Attorney’s office of beating Niko to death with a rock during an argument on June 30. The 35 year old Habamatolel Pomo citizen succumbed to wounds at the scene.
District Attorney Don Anderson brought the case before the Grand Jury rather than proceed through a preliminary hearing and the normal delays involved in court cases.
On Friday, December 16, Willy Timmons appeared before Judge Andrew Blum in the Superior Court and was arraigned on the Indictment.
The Vanessa Niko Memorial Fund has been set up by the tribe and donations can be made at the Mendo Lake Credit Union. Donations will be used to help Niko’s three children.
Iano pleads not guilty in atttempted murder case
Marcus Jon Iano entered a plea of not guilty to multiple charges during a recent Lake County Superior Court appearance.
The 42 year old Hidden Valley Lake man is accused of attempted murder, causing permanent disability and other counts related to a severe head wound suffered by his girlfriend. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in March.
In October of this year, Iano and his mother reported a possible drug overdose, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office statements. The victim was unresponsive when they dropped her at Adventist Health Hospital in Clearlake. Doctors there located an apparent bullet wound in her head.
Iano was arrested after returning to the hospital.
Assault leads to prison for Sandoval
A charge of attempted murder was dismissed in the case of Elysia Raylene Sandoval. Instead, the Lake County Superior Court concluded that the 21 year old from Upper Lake is guilty of assault with a deadly weapon.
Earlier this year, Sandoval pled no contest to an assault with a deadly weapon charge, also admitting to the great bodily injury allegation. The charge stems from an incident last December in which a Lakeport man was stabbed near Library Park.
The Court read and considered the Report and Recommendation of the probation officer as the Court elected to impose the upper term in state prison.
The Court judged that Sandoval is guilty of assault with a deadly weapon and that as punishment she be imprisoned in state prison for the upper term of four years. Sandoval, having admitted to the infliction of significant bodily injury upon the victim, will be detained for an additional three years, amounting to a total term of seven years.
Restitution is reserved for the victim and the Victim’s Compensation and Government Claim Board — but Sandoval has other financial obligations imposed by the Court, totaling $4,270.
Sandoval is awarded 357 days of credit for time served and 53 days of conduct credit for a total of 410 days credit — these credit days will be deducted from her seven-year sentence.
