Man sentenced to 16 years to life in deadly Turlock attack, arson
A judge has sentenced Nicholas John Harris to 16 years to life in prison for fatally stabbing Mark Anthony Henson in 2008 and burning the victim’s car in Turlock, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
In June, a jury found Harris guilty of second-degree murder and arson in Henson’s death. Harris pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and the jurors returned to the courtroom for the defendant’s sanity trial.
The same jury in August determined that Harris was sane when he found Henson sleeping in his car and attacked the 25-year-old man.
As part of his sentence, Superior Court Judge Linda McFadden ordered Harris to register with authorities as a convicted arsonist for the rest of his life if he is released from prison, said Assistant District Attorney Carol Shipley.
Harris, 28, has been in custody at the Stanislaus County Jail since August 2008, which means he already has served more than six years of his sentence.
Probation officials spoke to Henson’s mother, Christie Henson, on Aug. 29. She called Harris a monster who ambushed her son and brutally attacked him, according to a probation report filed in court Sept. 11.
“That’s why I think he should go away for life and be held accountable,” the victim’s mother told probation officials. “He has taken no ownership and has shown no remorse for what he has done.”
The stabbing occurred Aug. 12, 2008. The prosecutor argued that Harris wanted to eliminate the man he believed had been bothering his then-girlfriend.
Harris found Henson sleeping in the front seat of his Mitsubishi. A struggle ensued. Deputy District Attorney Michael Houston told the jury that Harris repeatedly stabbed Henson in the back.
The defendant then set Henson’s car on fire as the injured man staggered down the street looking for help. Henson died later at a hospital.
In the sanity phase of the trial, attorney Steven O’Connor, Harris’ attorney, argued that his client has bipolar disorder and the mental disease caused him to believe Henson was stalking his girlfriend. He said his client believed he was acting in self-defense.
Houston argued that three forensic psychologists determined Harris knew it was wrong when he was stabbing Henson and when he set the victim’s car on fire.
In the trial, Harris testified that playing video games such as “Grand Theft Auto” might have contributed to his mental state that night. He told the jury, “I believe I was having a manic episode.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Man sentenced to 16 years to life in deadly Turlock attack, arson."