Davis man gets four years in prison for domestic violence and ‘great torment’ to his wife
A Yolo Superior Court judge on Wednesday sentenced a man to four years in prison for domestic violence five months after he was arrested near his wife’s Davis home, where she was found dead from a suicide.
On Oct. 29, a jury found Harry Henry Stanley guilty of making criminal threats with the intent to terrorize and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, court records show.
Stanley, 37, of Davis, remained in custody Friday at the Yolo County Jail awaiting transfer to a prison.
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 criminal conviction included enhancements to his charges for taking advantage of a position of trust and committing “great violence” upon his wife, a victim who was “particularly vulnerable,” the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday in a news release.
The enhancements allowed the judge to give Stanley the maximum sentence for his charges. During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Dyer called this case “a very tragic situation.”
“This was a situation where there was great torment that Mr. Stanley placed upon his own wife who loved him,” Dyer said, according to the DA’s Office. “It’s just a pure tragedy, and all brought on by Mr. Stanley’s torment and callousness and being very cruel to this vulnerable individual.”
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 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 who went to look for Duncanson at her J Street home found her dead, the Davis Police Department has said.
Officers also found Stanley near the home and took him into custody. Police said Stanley, at that time, was under a court-issue restraining order that prohibited from contacting Duncanson.
Husband’s initial arrest
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.
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 dispatchers used a text messaging option to continue 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.
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.
Davis police initially booked Stanley at the jail on a homicide charge in connection with his wife’s death. The District Attorney’s Office did not file a homicide charge against Stanley and proceeded with the already pending domestic violence charges against him. Prosecutors this week said the investigation into her death was still pending.
