The People of the State of California v. Julian Charles McElhaney

Fresno, California, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with murder.

Julian Charles McElhaney, age 27, fatally shot his father, William McElhaney, 55, and mother, Sylvia McElhaney, 64, in 2022.

Under California law, a killing is classified as first-degree murder if it meets any of the following criteria:

• Willful, Deliberate, and Premeditated: The defendant acted with intent, thought about the act beforehand (premeditation), and weighed the considerations (deliberation), even if the reflection happened in a very short period of time.

• Specific Dangerous Methods: Killings committed by means of poison, explosives, or torture.

• Lying in Wait or Drive-By Shootings: Killings carried out while lying in wait or from a motor vehicle shooting at someone outside.

• The Felony-Murder Rule: A death that occurs during the commission or attempted commission of certain inherently dangerous felonies—such as arson, robbery, burglary, rape, carjacking, or kidnapping. Following reforms under Senate Bill 1437, a person can only be convicted of first-degree felony murder if they were the actual killer, acted with the intent to kill while aiding and abetting, or were a major participant in the underlying felony who acted with reckless indifference to human life.

Penalties

First-degree murder carries some of the most severe sentences in the state under California Penal Code § 190 (2025):

• Standard First-Degree Murder: 25 years to life in state prison.

• With Special Circumstances (Capital Murder): Governed by California Penal Code § 190.2 (2025)—such as killing a peace officer, murder for financial gain, or multiple/hate-crime murders—the penalty is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (LWOP) or the death penalty.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 100 years to life in state prison.