Two Men Who Killed Priest Get Long Terms
- Share via
RIVERSIDE — Two Fresno men convicted of fatally beating a priest during a church robbery were sent to prison Friday for terms up to 38 years to life.
Both Johnny Lee Smith, 22, and Ronald Windfield, 20, received sentences of 25 years to life for the first-degree murder of Father Bernard Tobin during a robbery at Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church in Fresno on Feb. 10 of last year.
They got an additional three years each for assaulting another priest and six years for robbing a couple a night earlier and imprisoning the woman.
In addition, Judge John H. Barnard added four years to Smith’s sentence for using a gun and two years to Windfield’s term for being armed during the two holdups.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.