RIVERSIDE — A 58-year-old Good Hope man pleaded guilty Tuesday to gunning down his wife.
William Thomas Dunlap was arrested last year following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the death of 56-year-old Kimberly Sue Dunlap.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled in Dunlap’s case Tuesday, but at the outset of proceedings, the prosecution and defense announced that a plea agreement had been reached. Under the deal, the defendant admitted a first-degree murder charge, and in exchange for his admission, prosecutors agreed to drop sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
Superior Court Judge Jennifer Gerard scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 6 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. A prospective sentence was not disclosed. However, the minimum mandatory term for a first-degree murder conviction is 25 years to life in state prison.
Dunlap is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Alberto Loureiro, the fatal attack happened shortly after 10 p.m. on June 8, 2024, at a property in the 25000 block of Highway 74, near Mapes Road. The area is west of Perris.
Loureiro said patrol deputies and paramedics were called to the location and found Kimberly Dunlap suffering from a single gunshot wound.
First responders attempted life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Central Homicide Unit detectives took over the investigation, detaining Dunlap for questioning without incident. The defendant was formally booked into custody the next day.
A possible motive for the attack wasn’t disclosed.
Dunlap had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
