California man who propped dead wife up on Christmas as kids opened presents found guilty of her murder
Category: News & Politics
Via: sister-mary-agnes-ample-bottom • 3 years ago • 19 commentsBy: KATE FELDMAN (MSN)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A California man who bashed his wife's head in, then staged her body on the couch while her children opened their Christmas presents was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder.
William Wallace, 39, used "blunt force trauma" to knock Zazell Preston, 26, unconscious sometime between between Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, 2011, according to investigators.
On Christmas morning, Wallace then propped Preston's body on the couch with sunglasses on and proceeded as normal.
"Mommy ruined Christmas, she got drunk and ruined Christmas," he told the children, according to prosecutors.
Preston and Wallace's 7-week-old son lived with them in Anaheim, as well as Wallace's children from a previous relationship, 3-year-old and 8-year-old daughters.
© Provided by New York Daily News William Wallace
William Wallace was found guilty of second-degree murder Wednesday.
Her oldest daughter, now 17, testified against Wallace, describing what she remembered from that night, including him pushing her mother onto a glass table, then asking the then-8-year-old to help pull glass out of her body. Wallace then dragged Preston into the bathroom and dropped her against the toilet.
"After she hit the toilet, and I think she was passed away, he just took her to the bedroom and put her down to sleep while she was deceased," the daughter said, according to the Orange County Register. "That is what I remember, because she was cold."
The next morning, the daughter testified, she and her sister woke up and went into the living room for gifts. Wallace was dragging Preston back out to the couch.
"I remember trying to touch my mom and she was just rock hard, cold and I said, 'Mommy,' and she didn't respond," she said.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown said that Wallace had a history of domestic violence against Preston.
"He had been threatening to kill her for three years," Brown said during the trial, according to the Register. "And on Christmas, he made good on those threats."
Preston had been studying to become a domestic violence counselor before her death, according to prosecutors.
Wallace, who is due for sentencing on June 4, up to 15 years to life in prison.
"A young mother finally losing her life after years of violence at the hands of her husband is a heart wrenching tragedy," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement Wednesday.
"That heartbreak is only exacerbated by the fact that her children witnessed much of the violence and were forced to celebrate Christmas in the presence of their dead mother. That is not a Christmas memory any child should be forced to have. Thankfully, Senior District Attorney Heather Brown fought for - and achieved - justice for Zazell Preston.
"We all have an obligation to speak up against violence of any kind, especially domestic violence where the victims are so fiercely controlled by their abusers. The cycle of domestic violence is a vicious one and I want every victim of domestic violence to know that they are not alone. No one should have to live in fear of violence in their own home."
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Um...
wtf?
At the very least!
Really gross would be if he had tried the hand puppet thing.....
Unfriggin' believable. One can only hope he is abused in jail.
I'm trying to figure out the 'up to 15 years to life in prison' part. I think he should remain in prison as long as she remains dead. When she is no longer dead, he can go home.
Beeeep beeeep beeeep...that's the wood chipper backing up.
Now that's what I'm talking about. It's appropriate for the lifetime of suffering to which he sentenced his (then) 8-year-old daughter.
Exactly, that poor girl is damaged. The younger one might have bypassed some of that.
"No one should have to live in fear of violence in their own home."
No kidding.
" "He had been threatening to kill her for three years," "
And that's why we are born with feet.
So Sad !
This world has some really fucked up humans in it.
RIP: Zazell Preston
It's not always that simple.
This is what Tracy Thurman's husband did to her after he found out where she was hiding. If you have a minute or two, read about her case .
This was Yvette Cade before her estranged husband walked into her place of business, doused her with gasoline, and set her on fire.
This was Yvette Cade after.
Three weeks earlier, her estranged husband had asked the court to lift his wife's order of protection so they could attend marriage counseling. Although her husband failed to show up for court, Ms. Cade pleaded with the judge and begged him not to lift the order. Judge Richard Palumbo berated and embarrassed her in the courtroom and then lifted the order anyway.
In any event, I wanted to explain why it's not always as easy as having two feet.
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Yeah. The most dangerous time for a woman who is leaving an abusive relationship is while she's leaving or shortly after. That's when she's most likely to be severely injured or killed.
Sister I understand that leaving is dangerious, seems staying many many times is just as dangerious in the long run.
To allow anyone to victimize you over and over without taking steps to protect yourself IMO: Is just waiting for more of the same.
Once a human abuses someone that doesn't stand up for themselves that abuse is quite likely to escalate.
There is legal ways and help available, and I understand that "love" plays a role over and over... BUT anyone who abuses you is not showing any love. They are wanting control.
Allow it and they do control you. Over and over..
If you get abused... Get out, because if you stay most likely you will be abused again. .
and again and again.
Yes getting out may be dangerious but so is staying.
Getting out at least you have a chance letting anyone control you is losing your life one day at a time.
My wife's father had beat her mom, her mom got out and my wife told me she would never put up with being hit or she would walk the first time.
I always respected her for that. Because I will not allow any one to control me either.
True because that is the time the abuser is losing control over who they were just controlling.
Staying enables the abuser to repeat their abuse over and over, that is what their abuser wants. Control over another human being.
If you want a life of abuse... stay.
If you want your freedom get the help to get out.
Either way your life is in danger.
I would think the longer a person accepts someone abusing them the harder it will be to break that cycle and the more their abuser will try to keep control over them.
A sad and dangerious situation ether way.
An abuser will often threaten not only the victim, but the victim's family, and those threats are often credible. Many victims who would otherwise leave are prevented from doing so by fear for their loved ones' lives.
True, but if a person doesn't do anything to stop it chances are their life will be controlled by the abuser until they do do something about it or they are dead.
Either way there once again is danger.
Sandy I'm not insensitive. I do believe in taking care of yourself though and letting anyone control your life is giving up your life. And we only have one.
End any abuse early or it will very likely get worse. Remember being beat is NOT love. No matter what anyone tells you. It's control.
Those poor kids are scarred for life.