Gardner Sentenced To Life Without Parole For Murder Of Girlfriend in Winters
After passing a sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole on convicted murderer William Carl Gardner III for the shooting death of Leslie Pinkston in downtown Winters, Judge Stephen Mock detailed the aggravating factors necessitating that sentence.
Gardner had been convicted of six felonies before the killing, both as a juvenile and as an adult. Four of the felonies were committed by the use of violence. As well, Gardner involved another person in his murder plot – the woman he convinced or coerced into driving him to Winters to surprise his victim on the morning of November 18, 2013.
Mock also considered the particular heinousness of the crime in passing the lengthy sentence. After entering the rear door of Pinkston’s SUV as she sat in the driver’s seat sipping coffee and getting ready to go to work, Gardner shot her in the knee first before pausing and then shooting her again in the back of the head. According to Lauren Keene of the Davis Enterprise, “when it came to listing mitigating factors, Mock fell silent. There were none, he said.”
Victim Leslie Pinkston
Many relatives and friends of Pinkston’s attended the sentencing hearing. Some had previously requested the maximum punishment for Gardner. There was no sense of closure for them however, an unidentified family member stated. Heather Pinkston McCants, Pinkston’s niece, stated their loss was like a tree losing a branch.
While he declined to testify at his trial, Gardner did voice several complaints before bailiffs led him away to begin serving his time in state prison. He accused his court-appointed defense counsel, J. Toney, of colluding with prosecutors. Mock several times had denied Gardner’s requests to replace Toney. Gardner also accused Toney of calling him a racial epithet. Toney denied that. He also complained about the lack of African-Americans on the jury and expert witnesses to testify for him.
After Mock had left the bench, Gardner, in view of TV cameras, referred to him as “a Klansman.”
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Davis Enterprise: Gardner gets life without parole for Winters murder
