The Lake County Criminal Grand Jury indicted Willy Tujays Timmons last December 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 but the defendant is still refusing to be evaluated for sanity at this time.
During the recent hearing to set the jury trial, the defense filed a PC995 motion, which is typically known as a “motion to set aside the information” — the information being the complaint. This motion is asking the judge to either set aside (dismiss) all or part of the complaint.
A response to the motion is to be filed and served by the close of the business day on June 15, 2018. A reply is to be and served by the close of the business day — no later than June 21, 2018.
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.
This matter is continued to June 26th at 1:30 p.m. in regards to the PC995 Motion in Department 4.
