Hill Sentenced to Maximum Term for Assault, Kidnapping With Intent to Commit Rape

Judge Shanahan: "You're the type of person that parents have to warn their daughters about."

Editor’s Note: We added Judge Victoria Shanahan’s comments to the defendant and would like to thank the court-reporter Christine Jones for double checking the transcript for MendoLocal.News. Also see correction below. (May 15, 2026 11:01 a.m.)

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Victoria Shanahan sentenced William Larry Hill on Wednesday to the maximum term of seven years to life with the possibility of parole for kidnapping with the intent to commit rape and six years, served consecutively, for assault with intent to commit rape.

Taking into consideration the time Hill has spent in jail since his arrest, Deputy District Attorney Eloise Kelsey said it will be at least 10 years before Hill faces a parole board.

“I think that at least for the moment we are done with Mr. Hill,” she said.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Victoria Shanahan delivered a blistering rebuke of the defendant, describing the conduct revealed during trial as “horrendous” and “nightmare material for most women.” Addressing Mr. Hill directly from the bench, Shanahan characterized him as exactly the sort of predator women are taught to fear and guard against in everyday life.

“You’re the type of person that parents have to warn their daughters about,” Shanahan said. “You’re the type of person that women have to walk with their keys and weapons in their hands when they go to their car at night.” She continued by describing Hill as a predator who “take[s] advantage of women when they’re most vulnerable,” tying his conduct to the broader fears many women navigate routinely in public spaces.

Although Shanahan said she intended to follow the sentence recommended in the probation report, she made clear she viewed the punishment as insufficient given the gravity of the crimes. “I do wish that you had more time hanging over your head because you deserve it,” the judge told Hill before imposing sentence.

Hill, 42, of Fort Bragg, was convicted by a Mendocino County jury in February.

The case stemmed from a 2019 attack on a woman Hill encountered at a Ukiah bar. Prosecutors alleged that Hill followed the woman as she walked home, overpowered her, dragged her into a secluded area and attempted to rape her. DNA evidence collected by a forensic nurse on the night of the attack was not linked to a suspect until years later, when Hill’s DNA was entered into a law enforcement database following a separate conviction.

Hill was convicted in 2022 of two sex offenses involving different victims — assault with intent to commit rape and attempted penetration by force with a foreign object — and received a three-year sentence in that case. The DNA comparison that cracked the 2019 cold case was ordered as part of the sentencing process in the earlier conviction.

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from three additional women who described similar alleged conduct by Hill. California law permits such prior-act evidence in sexual assault cases under certain circumstances. Hill took the stand in his own defense and denied the allegations, offering alternative explanations for how his DNA came to be on the victim.

Hill did not express remorse during his testimony or at sentencing, according to prosecutors.

The jury deliberated for less than two days before returning guilty verdicts on both counts.

Later, in a separate March 24 bench trial, the court found Hill guilty of five alleged aggravating circumstances, including that the crime involved great violence, great bodily harm or threat of great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness. The court found that the victim was particularly vulnerable, that the manner in which the crime was carried out indicated planning, sophistication, or professionalism and that the defendant had engaged in violent conduct that indicated a serious danger to society. The final aggravator was Hill’s previous prison sentence.

The case was investigated by the Ukiah Police Department and the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted by Kelsey. Defense attorney Justin Petersen represented Hill at trial.

Correction: The sentencing took play on Wednesday, May 13, not Thursday as originally reported. (May 15, 2026, 11:19 a.m.)