Bill Stidman,54, Marine veteran
Jacob Wilcoxen, arrested on homicide charges at age 16, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Monday in Sacramento County Superior Court.
Wilcoxen was convicted in the 2014 death of Bill Stidman, 54, a Marine veteran and former police officer. Wilcoxen was tried as adult. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6.
Sacramento County sheriff’s detectives determined the shooting followed an argument between Stidman and Wilcoxen. Prosecutors say that the conflict was related to Wilcoxen being in bed with a 14-year-old foster child in Stidman’s home.
Stidman had four grown children and was stepfather to a fifth. He and his wife, Jean, decided to become foster parents several years before the shooting.
Prosecutors say that Wilcoxen and a 17-year-old friend went to the Stidman’s Rio Linda home on June 15, 2014 — Father’s Day.
The two youths planned to sneak into the house after the couple had gone to bed and have sex with two teen female foster children cared for by the Stidmans, according to a press release from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office.
Stidman found Wilcoxen in the bed of the 14-year-old girl, according to prosecutors. Wilcoxen tried to leave after Stidman confronted him.
Stidman, who was a licensed security guard, told Wilcoxen he was going to arrest him. Prosecutors said that is when Wilcoxen pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and shot Stidman four times.
Stidman survived his injuries long enough to provide a responding a Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy with basic information about the shooting. He also asked paramedics to tell his wife he loved her.
Born in Bremerton, Wash., Stidman lived most of his adult life in the Sacramento region.
After four years in the U.S. , Stidman worked as a police officer in Susanville and later as a security guard.
Stidman also worked as a dispatcher in San Juan Unified School District’s maintenance and operations division. He joined the district in the 1996-1997 school year as a security officer.
An outdoorsman, his family said Stidman loved camping, fishing and helping others.
His son, Zachary Stidman, told The Bee at the time of his father’s death that “he would give the shirt off his back, give you his last dollar.”
Bill Lindelof: 916-321-1079, @Lindelofnews
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