A Fresno man who admitted to killing his parents at their northeast Fresno home in 2022 was sentenced Friday to 100 years to life in state prison.
Julian McElhaney was sentenced by Judge Daniel Brickey about a month after pleading no contest to two counts of first-degree murder and admitting firearm enhancements. The plea agreement included a stipulated sentence of 100 years to life and a waiver of appellate rights.
The case stems from April 2022, when authorities say McElhaney shot and killed his father, 55-year-old William McElhaney, and his mother, 64-year-old Sylvia McElhaney, at the family’s home near Cedar and Bullard avenues.
According to the court, McElhaney submitted a letter to the family expressing remorse and said he did not have the courage to address family members directly. His attorney said during the hearing that McElhaney had shown remorse, participated in jail work assignments and made personal changes during more than four years in custody.
Three relatives of the victims delivered impact statements, including Alberta Cruz, Sylvia McElhaney’s sister-in-law.
“You coward. Shame on you,” Cruz told the court.
Cruz recalled an incident in which William McElhaney asked his son for help and was met with profanity.
“That boy will be the death of me,” she said William told her son afterward. “And look what you did. You were the death of him. Two beautiful people taken away from the family that they loved.”
Pollyanna McElhaney, William McElhaney’s sister, spoke about the lasting impact of the killings on the family while emphasizing that accountability and compassion are not mutually exclusive.
“Compassion does not erase what happened, and forgiveness does not mean that consequences should disappear,” she told the court.
Following the hearing, Sylvia and William McElhaney’s nephew, Rudy Cruz, said the family is focused on moving forward.
“Now, you know, it’s just about healing, and it’s about the Cruz and the McElhaney family being able to take steps forward to create new good memories with the rest of the family,” Cruz said.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered McElhaney to pay a $10,000 restitution fine and $15,000 in restitution to the California Victim Compensation Board, while reserving the right to order additional restitution in the future.
McElhaney did not speak during Friday’s hearing and was remanded to the custody of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for transport to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
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