The following is a press release issued by the Mendocino County District Attorney:
Defendant Leslie Alan Adelman, age 71, generally of the greater Ukiah area, was sentenced Tuesday morning in the Mendocino County Superior Court to state prison for a term of 12 years.
The defendant stands convicted by plea of voluntary manslaughter, a felony, and personally using a knife in the commission of that crime.
Voluntary manslaughter is committed when an individual, with the intent to kill, causes the death of another person, said death occurring while the perpetrator was acting under the influence of a sudden quarrel or heat of passion.
As background, the defendant was living in his truck in the shared parking lot of Social Services and the Wells Fargo Bank on South State Street.
Believing he had been victimized on March 27, 2022, the defendant pursued the victim, another homeless man, for supposedly stealing a box of spices off the back of the defendant’s truck. Catching the alleged spice thief, the defendant knifed the man, causing his death.
Because voluntary manslaughter is characterized as a violent crime by the California Penal Code, the release credits defendant Adelman may attempt to earn towards his early release on parole is capped by current state law at no more than 15 percent of the overall sentence, meaning he should be required by prison authorities to serve over 9 ½ years of his 12-year sentence.
The law enforcement agencies that developed the evidence that would have been used at trial against the defendant were the Ukiah Police Department and the District Attorney’s own Bureau of Investigations.
A special thank you is extended to Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist, who conducted the autopsy in this case and would have provided expert testimony on cause of death had this case gone to trial.
The attorney who has been handling the prosecution of this defendant is Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott McMenomey.
Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Victoria Shanahan accepted the defendant’s change of plea and admission in early May. Judge Shanahan also presided Tuesday morning’s brief sentencing hearing.
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1 week prior to this “manslaughter” I witnessed this same man with a 12″ Knife trying to stab another homeless man. I called the police a d they came down and had the guy leave WITH the knife… which was most likely used in this ” manslaughter”
Prison loves senior citizens because they get so much tax payer money to care for them. An orange jumpsuit equals a Harvard education. I medicare check can quadrupal that. Cancer will cost taxpayers over 1 million. Do you see a pattern. Yes build a multi million court house but don’t build new schools. America has more people in prison than any nation on the planet
Now he can make another knife in prison. What a waste.
While employed at the school, Les NEVER showed any harm or bad intentions toward the children or staff. I know, I worked right beside him.
Imagine that Les chasing around children with a knife because they stole his spices he probably got for free. Will Les be stabbed to death for free now. Or will God forgive him? There’s not always Karma.