Yolo County jury convicts Davis man of domestic violence after wife found dead from suicide
A Yolo County jury on Tuesday convicted a man of domestic violence three months after he was arrested near a Davis home where his wife was found dead from a suicide.
Harry Henry Stanley, 37, of Davis was found guilty of making criminal threats with the intent to terrorize and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, according to a minute order filed Tuesday in Yolo Superior Court.
The jury was deadlocked on a third felony charge against Stanley: assault likely to produce great bodily injury. Court records show Judge Tom Dyer declared a mistrial on this charge.
Stanley’s wife, 29-year-old Megan Marie Duncanson, was found dead at a home in the 900 block of J Street in Davis. Yolo County Chief Deputy Coroner Gina Moya confirmed on Wednesday that Duncanson’s death has been ruled a suicide.
A friend had reported Duncanson missing on July 11. About 4:40 p.m. later that day, officers went to look for Duncanson at the J Street home and found her dead, the Davis Police Department has said.
Officers also found Stanley near the home and was taken into custody. Police said Stanley, at that time, was under a court-issue restraining order that prohibited from contacting Duncanson.
The restraining order stemmed from a from a July 9 arrest on domestic violence charges that were still pending when Duncanson was found dead. Police said Stanley had been released from custody on a posted bail bond following the arrest.
Davis police initially booked Stanley at the Yolo County Jail on a homicide charge in connection with his wife’s death. The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office did not file a homicide charge against Stanley and proceeded with the domestic violence charges against him. Prosecutors this week said the investigation into her death remains ongoing.
Court records show the jury in the domestic violence case returned to court Wednesday to continue deliberations on enhancements alleging circumstances in aggravation to Stanley’s criminal charges. The defendant wanted this bifurcated portion of the trial to also be decided by the jury. The outcome of the deliberations had not been announced.
The enhancements alleging aggravation, if found true, would allow the judge to impose the maximum sentence, according to the Davis Enterprise which first reported Stanley’s conviction Tuesday. Stanley faces two to four years in prison for the corporal injury charge and eight months in prison for the criminal threats charge.
Wife called 911 for help
On Thursday, the District Attorney’s Office announced that the jury found to be true the aggravating circumstances, specifically that Duncanson was particularly vulnerable, significant violence had occurred and Stanley took advantage of a position of trust.
Stanley and Duncanson had been in a relationship for seven years. Prosecutors said she called 911 on July 9 and whispered into the phone that her husband was going to kill her. The 911 dispatched used a text messaging option to communicate with Duncanson.
Prosecutors said Duncanson described her injuries. She told an officer, who spotted bruising on her body, the physical abuse she suffered started about a year earlier.
Sentencing hearing scheduled
Stanley was arrested and served with an emergency protective order by the Police Department. Prosecutors said Stanley posted bail and was released at his arraignment July 11. His wife did not attend the court hearing. A judge issued a court order prohibiting Stanley from committing violence or harassing Duncanson. Later that day, police officers went to her J Street home and found her dead.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig said he and his prosecutors hope this conviction brings some measure of justice for Duncanson and her family.
“Mr. Stanley’s conviction serves as a stark reminder of the continuing and ongoing crisis of domestic violence and in particular its impact on Megan and her family,” Reisig said in the news release.
Stanley, on Friday, remained in custody at the jail, where he’s being held without bail. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 2.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 4:37 PM.
