Edhat Staff
John Roderick Dungan (courtesy Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)
By edhat staff
The driver accused of intentionally crashing his vehicle into another car killing a family of three has pleaded not guilty.
John Roderick Dungan, 28 of Santa Barbara, is charged with three felony counts of murder for a Highway 154 collision that took place on October 25. California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated earlier this month that Dungan drove his vehicle into the opposing lane of traffic directed at the vehicle carrying a Vanessa Goss Bley, 34, and her two young children, Lucienne Bley Gleason (2) and Desmond Bley Gleason (4 months).
CHP arrested Dungan following his release from the hospital and recommended three counts of murder to the District Attorney’s office who filed the charges. CHP also had the bail amount of $2 million changed to no bail.
Captain Cindy Pontes of CHP also stated they have evidence to confirm Dungan intentionally crashed into another vehicle even though Dungan refused to speak with investigators.
Dungan will return to court on January 31 for a preliminary hearing.
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He will probably blame the victims.
They should put him in a cell with Marshal Anthony Coates (the La Cumbre perp).
He has a public defender (so yes, more tax dollars for this piece of garbage) and some young instagram chick out of a firm in LA. When asked if he understood the charges and proceedings he said, “Yes” so let’s hope he doesn’t plan on pleading insanity.
He will do anything he can to get out of it but Dog save his ass if he runs into a young Roger Dodger in Jail.
Even if Dung misses being able to cop to a mental defense and is found guilty of murder, he’ll be sentenced to something like 20 years to life, but he’ll be back out on the streets eight or so years later. That’s just the way it’s done in California these days.
Not for THREE counts, Rex, plus special circumstances. I hope he rots for life. There will be massive support to sentence with no possibility of parole. Look what he did when he was out on bail last month. Garbage human.
SB Observer. Let’s hope you are right! The POS deserves nothing better.
Too bad this will be some long, drawn out circus. Kinda makes one long for the old days when he would have been tossed in some deep dark dungeon and forgotten about.
SEABIRD: Look what happened to Eliot Rodger. True, he had a “mental defense” case. But he’s still out. It will happen again, mental defense or no. That’s just how it is in California these days. Bank on this. I am right.
Please send me a jury summons for this trial.
I for one am looking forward to the trial and subsequent conviction. He would have been wise to just admit fault and avoid the inevitable media slaughter, but the murder charge made that not viable. So instead of slipping into oblivion, he is going to have to lay out his deepest, most private thoughts and actions for all to see and scrutinize. It will be a bitter pill for us to swallow but it will most certainly be torture for this guy and his family. Then he’ll spend the rest of his miserable life in a dirty, cold and extremely violent prison cell, where he will be forced to fight daily for his life and his well being… To me, that future seems much more severe than a quick death. He will be suffering for decades to come in some of the most miserable ways possible.
I’d like it if it was the 1800’s myself alittle frontier justice goes along way…