Marysville man pleads no contest to second-degree murder

A Marysville man pleaded no contest to charges of second-degree murder and assault with a firearm and faces time in prison.

William Henson, 35, appeared in Yuba County Superior Court on Thursday via video conference from Yuba County Jail for an entry of plea hearing. He was originally charged with murder, attempted murder, and hit-and-run.

On Thursday, the count of assault with a firearm was added and his plea to the murder count was to non-premediated murder. Deputy District Attorney John Vacek said Henson will serve 15 years to life.

“A person sentenced to such an indeterminate term goes to prison and has to spend at least 15 years before becoming parole eligible; after that the parole board determines the length of the sentence,” Vacek said in an email.

Henson’s prison term for the assault with a firearm count will be served concurrently.

During the hearing, Vacek described to the court what took place on June

30, which led to Henson’s arrest. After a dispute at a motel in East Linda, Henson left the motel and returned with an Ar-style rifle and shot from his vehicle at a female victim sitting in her car in the parking lot. The woman suffered non-lifethreatening injuries from shrapnel caused by a bullet hitting the dashboard.

Henson then fled the scene and while traveling approximately 80 miles per hour, hit Michael Sanchez, 44, of Yuba City, who was sitting on his motorcycle at a red light. Sanchez was killed in the collision and Henson traveled another quarter of a mile before abandoning his car and the rifle. He was arrested in Sacramento without incident on Aug. 6.

He committed the crimes while on probation for child endangerment and attempted vehicle theft, according to Judge Benjamin Wirtschafter. His sentences for violating probation will also be served concurrently with 15 years to life term.

Henson will be formally sentenced in Yuba County Superior Court by Wirtschafter at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 25. He remains in custody without bail.