In Alameda County, California, prosecutors announced that they will not seek the death penalty against Richard Dean Wilson because it is unlikely that a jury would return a death sentence. State authories say the decision to seek a life sentence for Wilson avoids a costly death penalty case and saves taxpayer dollars from financing a lengthy trial with an uncertain outcome. Wilson pleaded no contest to the murder of Angela Marie Bledsoe. Prosecutor Jim Anderson noted, “This was the best penalty phase mitigation I have ever seen. We thought…the likelihood of getting a death vote on this guy was small. The best we would have ever gotten was hung jury after hung jury.” (Tri-Valley Herald, July 30, 2004) See Costs and Life Without Parole.
Citation Guide
- Death Penalty Information Center (2025, March 14). Prosecutor Forgoes Costly Death Penalty Trial. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/prosecutor-forgoes-costly-death-penalty-trial
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Prosecutor Forgoes Costly Death Penalty Trial.” Last modified March 14, 2025. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/prosecutor-forgoes-costly-death-penalty-trial.
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Prosecutor Forgoes Costly Death Penalty Trial.” Death Penalty Information Center, 14 Mar. 2025, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/prosecutor-forgoes-costly-death-penalty-trial. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.