Fresno woman convicted of gruesome 2018 murder of Vietnam War veteran

Sunday, June 5, 2022
HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno woman will spend the rest of her life in prison after a Kings County jury convicted her of torturing and murdering a Vietnam War veteran.

Stacie Mendoza, 42, was found guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances last Friday.
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Prosecutors said she befriended 74-year-old Kenneth Coyle while working as a waitress at a local restaurant.

RELATED: Hanford husband and wife accused of gruesome torture and murder of a Vietnam War veteran

Stacie Mendoza and her husband, Jose Mendoza, were arrested in April of 2018. Investigators said the two tortured Coyle at his house before killing him.
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Stacie Mendoza is not eligible for parole. She will be sentenced on July 1.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story indicated Stacie Mendoza was from Hanford. That was incorrect. She is from Fresno. The story has been updated to reflect the change.

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