LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Clearlake man facing trial for the May 2010 shooting death of his wife reached a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office on Monday.
Eddie Lee Gillespie, 53, pleaded guilty to second degree murder and a gun use enhancement, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Gillespie was alleged to have fatally shot his estranged wife, 52-year-old Tracey Gillespie of Clearlake Oaks, on May 25, 2010.
Hinchcliff said Gillespie had been set to go to trial on Jan. 16.
Gillespie originally was facing murder and a lesser included offense of assault with a firearm, along with special allegations of use of a gun and causing great bodily injury. The additional charges were dropped as a result of Gillespie’s plea, Hinchcliff said.
Defense attorney Stephen Carter said Gillespie was looking at more than 50 years to life in prison had he gone to trial and been convicted of first-degree murder and the rest of the charges.
Gillespie’s plea to second-degree murder and the enhancement of using a firearm means he will face a total of 18 years to life at sentencing later this month. That breaks down to 15 years to life for murder and three years for the enhancement, according to Carter.
Carter said Gillespie, who was taken into custody on the day of the murder, already has nearly enough time served to cover the time for the enhancement.
Gillespie must serve 15 years before he will be eligible for parole, which will occur when he is in his late 60s, Carter said.
Hinchcliff said Gillespie is scheduled for sentencing at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, in Judge Andrew Blum’s Department 1 courtroom in Lakeport.
With Gillespie’s case reaching a settlement, Hinchcliff said only one other murder case still is pending in Lake County Superior Court, that of Daniel Ray Loyd of Nice, accused of shooting to death 48-year-old Cindy Yvette Quiett in September 2011.
Hinchcliff said Loyd is set for preliminary hearing on March 20.
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