The suspect in a Winters homicide case entered a not-guilty plea to murder and other charges Thursday in Yolo Superior Court.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig said he has not yet decided whether he will pursue the death penalty against William Carl Gardner III, who faces the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait in connection with the Nov. 18 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend Leslie Pinkston, 32, outside her Railroad Avenue workplace.
Gardner, who sat shackled to two other inmates during the brief hearing in Judge David Rosenberg’s courtroom, is due back in court Feb. 14 for a pre-hearing conference. He is being held without bail at the Yolo County Jail.
In addition to murder, the 30-year-old Gardner is charged with stalking and possession of a firearm by someone previously convicted of a felony, with enhancements for allegedly using a firearm and committing the crimes while free on bail.
He also continues to face stalking and criminal-threats charges in connection with a Jan. 13, 2013, confrontation with Pinkston and her mother at the women’s Winters home.
Pinkston had been scheduled to testify against Gardner in that case, which had been set for trial in December.