A Covelo man was convicted of second-degree murder this week in Mendocino County Superior Court, the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office reported.
According to the office of DA David Eyster, a jury found Dino Blackbear Lincoln, also known as Dino Michael Blackbear, a 36-year-old resident of Covelo, guilty of murder in the second degree and felony reckless evading of a peace officer.
According to court records, Lincoln was charged nearly two years ago with the murder of Kenneth F. Whipple on Sept. 15, 2021. In addition to finding the defendant guilty of second-degree murder, Eyster’s office notes that “the jury also found true a special allegation that the defendant personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, said discharge causing the death of another person.”
Lincoln was also found guilty of “misdemeanor simple assault, a lesser included crime to the charged crime of felony assault with a motor vehicle.”
Eyster’s office also explained that “after the jury was excused, a bifurcated court trial was held wherein it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant Lincoln has suffered two prior Strike convictions:
(1) felony criminal threats, said conviction having been entered in the Mendocino County Superior Court on Jan. 3, 2019 (a felony characterized as serious by Penal Code section 1192.(c)); and
(2) felony assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury to another person, said conviction having been entered in the Mendocino County Superior Court on July 24, 2008 (a felony characterized as violent by Penal Code section 667.5(c)).
The defendant’s case has now been “referred to the Mendocino County Adult Probation Department for a background and social study leading to a written sentencing recommendation,” and sentencing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. July 27, 2023.
The DA’s Office credits the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Justice forensic laboratory, and the District Attorney’s own Bureau of Investigations for their work on this case, and “a special note of appreciation is extended to Gregg Stutchman, a forensic audio/video and photography expert from Napa, for his work.”
View more on The Willits News