William Wallace.Photo: Orange County Jail
A California man is facing a potential maximum prison sentence of 15 years to life for killing his wife and propping her up on Christmas morning for her children to open gifts in front of her body, according to officials.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday that William Wallace, 39, has been convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Za’Zell Preston.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4.
In a press release, the district attorney’s office said Wallace “used blunt force trauma to the head” to render Preston unconscious sometime between Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, 2011.
At the time, Preston’s 3-year-old and 8-year-old daughters from a previous relationship were in the family’s apartment, as well as her 7-week-old son with Wallace, according to prosecutors.
Officials said Wallace called 911 around 9:30 a.m. on Christmas day to report that Preston was in need of medical attention.
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During Wallace’s trial, the prosecution claimed that he placed Preston on the couch with sunglasses on and had her kids open presents in front of her body, according to theOrange County Register.
Prosecutors also alleged that Wallace told their children, “Mommy … got drunk and ruined Christmas,” theMercury Newsreported.
According to prosecutors, Wallace had spent time in jail for attacking Preston prior to her death.
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If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
