Man charged with involuntary manslaughter fails to appear in court

LAKEPORT >> A Clearlake Oaks man charged with hit-and-run that killed a Nice woman recently failed to appear in court.

The Court found no good cause for William Len's non-appearance and ordered the issuance of a bench warrant for his failure to appear with bail now set in the amount of $20,000.

In November of last year the defendant, William Len, 48, was present and not in custody for an arraignment hearing, entering a not guilty plea to all counts and had denied the special allegations.

During that hearing the Court appointed Thomas G. Feimer as counsel for the defendant.

The matter was set for a master calendar call hearing and preliminary hearing which were both set for this month.

The defendant has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit and run with permanent injury or death.

The charges stem from an incident in June of last year after Amanda Arney was struck and killed by a vehicle after midnight while she walking east on Highway 20, west of Sayre Avenue.

According to CHP, the victim was cast down an embankment, resting near a fence — partially concealed by vegetation.

The victim's body was located hours later that same morning, where she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The defendant was arrested by California Highway Patrol after a thorough investigation and the execution of search warrants with aid from the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

He was booked into the Lake County Jail and has since bailed out and has been released.

The defendant now has an outstanding warrant.