WOODLAND, CA — Yolo County Superior Court Judge Tom Dyer sided with Deputy District Attorney Michelle Serafin Wednesday, sentencing Henry Stanley to four years in state prison despite Deputy Public Defender Monica Brushia’s arguments for probation.
Henry Stanley was convicted of abusing his wife Megan Duncanson, who later committed suicide.
Stanley was convicted by a jury of one felony count of threatening a crime with the intent to terrorize and one felony count of inflicting corporal punishment on a spouse.
DPD Brushia did not dispute the merits of the domestic violence conviction and accused the prosecution of trying to place blame on Stanley for the suicide of Duncanson.
Brushia argued for probation since there was a lack of history of abuse and a lack of evidence that law enforcement or neighbors were ever called to intervene.
Brushia stated, “What you have here is someone who has no record and what you have in a victim is someone who got bruises. And that’s it… and to blame him for what happened after the fact is unfair,” adding Stanley does qualify for probation despite the aggravating factors that were found and that those guidelines should be followed.
The father of the victim gave a statement thanking the prosecution and judge, while also rebuffing the arguments for leniency made by DPD Brushia.
DDA Serafin stated prison was the only appropriate sentence given the facts of the case.
Serafin noted, “It is true that her physical injuries that we were able to perceive….were not the most serious we have ever seen in this courthouse. But the emotional abuse that we heard about is the most serious I have ever seen in this courthouse. And I have worked here for 20 years.”
DDA Serafin added this abuse had occurred for years and that Stanley had “told her (his wife) she was a vile worm. Told her she deserved to die.”
Serafin stressed this emotional and physical abuse was directly responsible for the death, arguing, “If she had had a supporting, loving husband, she would not be dead now. He is the one who convinced her that that is what she deserved.”
Judge Dyer was not sympathetic to the DPD arguments for adhering to the probation standards, stressing this was “a pure tragedy brought on by Mr. Stanley’s torment. Mr. Stanley is capable of great violence and cruelty despite his lack of criminal record. I do believe he is able to be surreptitious and secretive… and lacks remorse in this very serious matter.”
Judge Dyer explained probation was not appropriate given a lack of amenability to the court’s orders and the cruel nature of the crime.
Earlier in the week, Stanley refused to appear at court for sentencing, and no reason was provided for his denial to be transported to Yolo County Superior Court.
The prosecution requested a possible extraction of Stanley. Judge Tom Dyer denied this request.
The Vanguard has covered the proceedings related to this case and jury trial, involving the death of Stanley’s wife and victim Megan Duncanson being ruled a suicide.
A previous article on the Stanley case in the Vanguard covered the jury’s verdict—guilty on the two counts after a tedious trial that included an array of evidence.
In late October, as reported by the Vanguard, Stanley was found guilty for the felony charges of threatening a crime with the intent to terrorize and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse.
After deliberation Tuesday, Judge Dyer, set a new court date for Wednesday, stating that “the court cannot order an extraction based on a hypothetical,” and for an extraction to take place, counsel can submit a briefing.
