Wanda Nelson, the caretaker convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the death of Solvang ALS patient Heidi Good, was sentenced on April 1 to five years’ parole.
Nelson, 63, was on the job on March 25, 2013, when Good died after her breathing tube was disconnected and she was administered a toxic dose of medication. Nelson was tried alongside Good’s mother, Marjorie Good, for various murder and manslaughter counts. The trial started November 2015.
On Feb. 18, a jury found Nelson not guilty of first-degree willful, deliberate, and premeditated murder; not guilty of second-degree murder; and guilty of involuntary manslaughter. When news of Nelson’s verdict reached Marjorie’s jurors’ ears, Superior Court Judge Rogelio Flores declared a mistrial in Marjorie’s case.
Marjorie, 90, was not retried and ultimately found not guilty of first-degree and second-degree murder, and Flores dismissed her involuntary manslaughter charges.
But defense attorney Lori Pedego filed a motion to dismiss Nelson’s case, which the court denied, and moved for a new trial, for which the jury found no grounds. Flores ordered a sentence for Nelson including five years of parole and more than $20,000 in fines.
Nelson is ordered to pay a restitution of $16,796 to Stephen Swiacki, Good’s husband. Nelson is also ordered not to contact and to stay at least 100 yards away from Swiacki and his and Good’s children. She must also steer clear of the Nyborg Estates subdivision of Solvang.
Finally, the sentencing reads: “Do not act as a caretaker for anyone, or work for elder or dependent adults, in any capacity.”
Nelson spent more than 10 months in jail, primarily in the Santa Barbara County Jail, before receiving her verdict in February. She was not ordered any additional jail time.
This article appears in Apr 7-14, 2016.