LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Fulton man convicted this week of numerous charges associated with the October 2009 assault of a Lakeport man can expect to spend the rest of his life in prison when he's sentenced next month.

On Tuesday a jury returned guilty verdicts on 10 charges and five special allegations against 60-year-old Thomas Loyd Dudney, accused of a brutal attack on Ronald Greiner that took place on Oct. 20, 2009.

Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe said the jury found Dudney guilty of attempted murder, mayhem, torture, robbery, burglary, assault with a firearm, assault with a blunt force object, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury, participation in a criminal street gang, and five special allegations that included infliction of great bodily injury and gang enhancements.

“We were, of course, disappointed at the verdict, given the total 'guilty as charged on all counts' aspect,” said defense attorney Doug Rhoades.

Rhoades said there was a minor victory for Dudney in that prior strikes and prison terms alleged against him were found to not be sustained.

The attempted murder and torture charges, as well as the group of gang enhancements – which Grothe said attach to the more serious charges and therefore increase in time – each result in a life term. Plus Dudney is facing another 20 years for the other crimes.

Dudney is set to return to court for sentencing on April 4, Grothe said.

Grothe said the jury deliberations began at 3:30 p.m. last Thursday. There were several hours of read back of testimony on Friday, the jury was then off on Monday and at noon on Tuesday a verdict was announced. It was delivered later that afternoon.

Greiner had been shot at least three times, including twice in the chest, had been stabbed and beaten so severely that his ribs and jaw were broken, facial bones – including his eye sockets – were shattered, and one ear almost detached. He also was hogtied with barbed wire, said Grothe.

Grothe said the assailants then allegedly stole about 12 marijuana plants from Greiner.

At the scene of the attack Greiner identified Dudney as his attacker, identifying him by a nickname, “Ktron” – Dudney's nickname actually was “KTom,” according to Grothe – and told authorities where Dudney lived in Sonoma County.

Lake County Sheriff's detectives worked with Sonoma County authorities to arrest Dudney during a traffic stop, according to the original sheriff's report.

“Within 24 hours they had him,” Grothe said.

The prosecution alleged that Greiner had been growing marijuana for ex-girlfriend Deborah James of Windsor. On Oct. 17, 2009, James and a female friend went to Greiner's home on S. Main Street in Lakeport, where he informed them that James' marijuana had been destroyed in a storm or stolen, said Grothe.

James' friend is alleged to have gotten into an altercation with Greiner, telling him that “some big boys” were going to come back over and take care of him. Grothe said Greiner threw the women out, with James' friend claiming she had bruises from his fingers her arm.

Grothe said Greiner then screwed shut all of his doors and windows, and three days later his front door got kicked in. The gun used to shoot Greiner was never found.

James was arrested in November 2009 in connection with the attack, but the case against her later was dropped.

In January, Grothe dropped charges against Rohnert Park resident Joshua Wandrey Sr., who had been Dudney's co-defendant in the case and was facing many of the same charges.

Grothe said at the time that it was his professional opinion that there was insufficient evidence to proceed against Wandrey, but that the case would be reevaluated if more evidence was secured.

“As far as our case goes, this guy is the main guy we have evidence on,” Grothe said of Dudney.

The attack on Greiner, Grothe alleged, was based on revenge and gang affiliations because Greiner had laid his hands on a woman associated with the Misfits motorcycle gang, of which Dudney is alleged to have been a member.

“Our position from the outset was that this was NOT a gang-related event, and that Mr. Dudney was not the responsible party,” Rhoades said in an e-mail exchange with Lake County News.

Cell phone and DNA evidence “left open a world of possible other determinations, but the verdict was apparently swayed by the victim identification,” he said.

“Of key importance, was the denial of a jury view of the scene at night,” Rhoades said. “Having personally visited the scene during darkness, I cannot envision a scenario where the victim could have identified Thomas Dudney as the culprit, due to the fact that the nearest light source was 240 yards away, it was in the early morning hours, pre-dawn, of October 20, 2009, with a full cloud cover and no moon, from indoors, with the blinds and on the windows fully closed. Yet that was his testimony.”

Rhoades added, “Had the jury been allowed to see the scene as it was at the time, I do not believe they could have found that the victim could possibly have identified the perpetrator of these horrendous acts.”

He added, “Mr. Dudney maintains his innocence in this matter.”

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