Oakdale man convicted of voluntary manslaughter in death of former rodeo rider
An Oakdale man has been convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the 2019 shooting death of a former rodeo rider, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office said.
William Beck Usilton III, 30, originally pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder for killing 25-year-old Cody Sorensen in what he said was an act of self-defense.
Sorensen was a rodeo rider until about three years before his death, when a cow kicked a gate that hit him and shattered his forehead in a career-ending injury, The Modesto Bee previously reported.
Police were called around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2019, to Bonnie Villa Apartments where Usilton lived. They found Sorensen with a gunshot wound to his face, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses said the Sorensen and Usilton argued in the apartment after coming back from H-B Saloon together earlier that night. Usilton then grabbed a handgun and shot Sorensen.
Usilton told officers Sorensen was an “uninvited guest” who had been let into the apartment by Usilton’s girlfriend to retrieve some belongings.
During the trial, Usilton claimed the shooting was an act of self-defense but could not explain why he believed Sorensen posed a threat of death or great bodily injury. But Richard Meyer, Usilton’s lawyer, said he believed his client had a strong case for self-defense.
“(Usilton) was at home trying to go to bed,” Meyer said.
Meyer said the jury found “imperfect self-defense” in deciding the manslaughter conviction. This meant that although Usilton may have believed Sorensen might harm him and he needed to use force to stop that harm, “at least one of those beliefs were not objectively reasonable.”
Usilton’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20. Under the conviction and an added enhancement for using a firearm, he faces a maximum of 21 years in prison.
If he had been convicted of second-degree murder in this situation, Usilton would have faced 40-to-life, Meyer said.
“There will be a date for certain when he is getting out, so it’s a huge difference for him,” Meyer said.
This story was originally published July 23, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
