Retired Superior Court Judge Arthur Mann sentenced Thomas Loyd Dudney, 60, of Fulton to four 25-to-year life terms and additional time for a series of felony charges a jury convicted him of in March for the attack on Ronald Greiner.
Dudney and an accomplice whose identity has not been confirmed allegedly broke into Greiner's home on S. Main Street in Lakeport early on Oct. 20, 2009, beating him so severely that he suffered numerous broken bones to his face and torso, shooting him several times, stabbing him and leaving him hogtied with barbed wire before stealing 12 marijuana plants from him, according to the investigation.
Dudney was convicted of attempted murder, mayhem, torture, robbery, burglary, assault with a firearm, assault with a blunt force object, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury, participation in a criminal street gang, and five special allegations that included infliction of great bodily injury and gang enhancements, as Lake County News has reported.
Just how much time he will serve is still being sorted out, according to Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe and defense attorney Doug Rhoades.
They said Mann didn't announce a total time amount, but ordered a number of concurrent and consecutive terms based on Dudney's convictions.
Grothe said Dudney received at least four consecutive 25-year-to-life terms plus additional time, which he and Victim-Witness Division staff estimated ran somewhere between 116 and 131 years.
Mann gave Dudney “the aggravated term” due to lack of remorse, viciousness, callousness and a lengthy criminal record going back to 1968, Grothe said.
“The sentence exceeds more than 20 years and anything in addition to 20 years is effectively a life sentence for him,” said Rhoades.
Rhoades said the initial recommendation for Dudney's sentencing was 184 years to life, which Mann reduced substantially.
“Mr. Dudney is grateful to Judge Mann for the imposition of sentence as he found it appropriate,” said Rhoades.
Rhoades said he wasn't surprised at the sentence based on the number of counts and enhancements.
During his statements to the court at the sentencing, Grothe argued that Dudney was motivated by revenge, intimidation, profit and gang standing.
He said that the best characterization of Dudney's life and conduct was contained in the business card in his wallet that said, “Misfits: “We’re not prejudiced, we hate everyone.”
Greiner was in court for the sentencing. Grothe said a Victim-Witness advocate read Greiner's statement to the court into the record.
Dudney also read a two-page statement in which he blamed Greiner for the incident because of marijuana growing, said Grothe, who characterized it as an “in your face” statement that ended with Dudney telling the court, “Have a nice day.”
While Dudney originally had several codefendants in the case, charges were dropped against all of them due to lack of evidence.
Grothe said investigators are still looking into the possibility of new evidence developing against one or more other individuals. Dudney has refused to identify anyone else, and Greiner called on him to do so in his written statement.
Rhoades said Dudney has continued to maintain his innocence.
“An appeal was filed today before court was concluded,” said Rhoades, adding that an appeal with a sentence such as Dudney received “is virtually automatic.”
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