A friend of mine, Billy Deer, was murdered a few years ago in Rancho Cordova. Whatever happened to this case?

– Bill, Citrus Heights

Frank Abella and James Davis Washington were sentenced in 2010 to life in prison with no chance of parole for the June 7, 2008, murder of William "Billy" Deer.

According to stories in The Bee, Deer, 50, a disabled ex-Marine, had bought a cup of coffee and was drinking it on a curb next to a 7–Eleven market in the 10200 block of Mills Station Road in Rancho Cordova when he was attacked by the two men.

The men stomped Deer's head into the pavement, beat him with his cane and shot him 20 times with a BB gun, according to evidence presented at trial.

Abella and Washington, both 21, are incarcerated at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano.

Back in early 2000 my high school teacher David Crawford was murdered by his goddaughter. What happened with this case?

Also a few years back a friend of mine, Avery Polk, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. What was his name and what happened with that case?

– Mila, Sacramento

Jessica Antoinette Nagy was sentenced to 12 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the death of David Crawford, 54, a longtime teacher at Daylor Continuation High School in Elk Grove.

Crawford was found dead in his Santa Ynez Way home Nov. 10, 2002. According to stories in The Bee, court records showed that he had been stabbed and slashed with two pairs of scissors about 80 times.

Nagy had a history of mental illness. She reportedly gave police several accounts of how she said Crawford had raped her, which were not supported by the physical evidence at the crime scene.

Nagy, now 32 years old, is at Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla.

In the second case, Lamont Lee Rhinehart was convicted of the 2007 murder of Avery Marie Polk, 27, his child's mother.

According to a story in The Bee, Rhinehart stabbed and killed Polk during the commission of a rape. Court papers showed Rhinehart had a history of domestic violence.

He was sentenced to life without parole and is in San Quentin State Prison.

About three years ago, a prominent Sacramento divorce lawyer, Gary Appelblatt, was sent to prison for molesting several female clients. Is he still in prison?

– Neil, Sacramento

Attorney Gary Michael Appelblatt was sentenced in November 2009 to 18 months in prison for fondling female clients under the guise of giving them medical exams.

He pleaded no contest to four felony counts of sexual battery and one count of attempting to touch one of his clients improperly.

Appelblatt, 60, is in Avenal State Prison.

– Cathy Locke