{"id":423284,"date":"2026-08-04T04:10:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T04:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/423284\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T04:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T04:10:14","slug":"california-mom-begged-for-help-before-ex-gunned-her-down-in-front-of-their-4-year-old-son-da","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/423284\/","title":{"rendered":"California mom begged for help before ex gunned her down in front of their 4-year-old son: DA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">More than two years after a California mother&#8217;s desperate 911 call ended with her 4-year-old son witnessing her killing, the father prosecutors said carried out the execution will spend decades behind bars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jeffery Kendall, 39, was sentenced Monday to 50 years to life in prison for <a data-ylk=\"slk:murdering;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/category\/us\/crime\/homicide\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">murdering<\/a> 30-year-old Brittany Elizabeth Ligdis just 10 days after she ended their relationship, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney&#8217;s Office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A jury found Kendall guilty in May of <a data-ylk=\"slk:first-degree murder;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/genres\/crime\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">first-degree murder<\/a> and child endangerment for placing the couple&#8217;s young son in a situation that threatened his safety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-ylk=\"slk:Dispatcher Heard &#039;Loud Bang&#039; Before Tiktok Influencer Who Outed Alleged Pedophile Husband Found Dead: Audio;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/us\/dispatcher-heard-loud-bang-before-tiktok-influencer-outed-alleged-pedophile-husband-found-dead-audio\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Dispatcher Heard &#8216;Loud Bang&#8217; Before Tiktok Influencer Who Outed Alleged Pedophile Husband Found Dead: Audio<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Jeffery Kendall mugshot after California murder arrest\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/7996bbe36038bd7b7cbc5073aca9b79a.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Booking photo of Jeffery Kendall following his arrest in the Brittany Ligdis murder case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Prosecutors said Ligdis called 911 on the morning of Feb. 16, 2024, after Kendall broke into her Pinole home while she hid in a laundry room with their 4-year-old son.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">About 90 seconds into the call, Kendall entered the room.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-ylk=\"slk:Read On The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS\/mvaj7wvj\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Read On The Fox News App<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Let go of me,&#8221; Ligdis pleaded, according to the district attorney&#8217;s office. &#8220;You&#8217;re scaring him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-ylk=\"slk:Decades-old Cold Case Breakthrough Leads To Arrest In Execution-style Killings Of Married Couple Before Child;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/us\/decades-old-cold-case-breakthrough-leads-arrest-execution-style-killings-married-couple-child\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Decades-old Cold Case Breakthrough Leads To Arrest In Execution-style Killings Of Married Couple Before Child<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"California officers arrest Jeffery Kendall after Pinole homicide\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/01968159f518907bf883fc6067c0d95e.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Law enforcement officers place Jeffery Kendall in handcuffs following his arrest in Santa Cruz, California.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Moments later, she screamed, &#8220;Stop it,&#8221; before Kendall shot her in the head, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The couple&#8217;s son cried out, &#8220;Momma,&#8221; and fled the room while Kendall ran from the home. Responding officers found Ligdis dead from a gunshot wound to the head.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Deputy District Attorney Tylyn Wells described the killing as &#8220;an execution in front of a 4-year-old child&#8221; and argued it was not the result of &#8220;a mental break,&#8221; according to the district attorney&#8217;s office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-ylk=\"slk:Alabama Mother Sentenced To Life For Hiring Hitman To Kill Her Child&#039;s Father Over Custody Dispute;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/us\/alabama-mother-sentenced-life-hiring-hitman-kill-childs-father-custody-dispute\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Alabama Mother Sentenced To Life For Hiring Hitman To Kill Her Child&#8217;s Father Over Custody Dispute<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Jeffery Kendall escorted into custody after California homicide\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/8321d43ce5b731372e6148567e6accff.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A law enforcement officer escorts Jeffery Kendall through a police facility after his arrest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Instead, Wells said the murder reflected a pattern often seen in <a data-ylk=\"slk:domestic violence cases;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/genres\/family\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">domestic violence cases<\/a>, where the danger escalates after a victim decides to leave.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Wells asked the court to impose a sentencing enhancement that increased Kendall&#8217;s punishment to 50 years to life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Glenn Kim called the case &#8220;one of the most difficult&#8221; he had experienced before imposing two consecutive terms of 25 years to life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Kim also barred Kendall from contacting his son, with limited exceptions subject to court approval, until November 2035, when the boy turns 16.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Separately, Judge Kim convicted Kendall of illegally possessing a <a data-ylk=\"slk:3D-printed semi-automatic pistol;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/politics\/spanberger-signs-gun-bills-makes-proposed-gun-ban-even-harsher\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">3D-printed semi-automatic pistol<\/a> and determined that multiple factors supported a harsher sentence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">One year after Brittany Ligdis&#8217; death, her mother shared an emotional video urging family and friends to remember her daughter&#8217;s life rather than the violence that ended it.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Brittany Ligdis pictured with her young son before her death\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/cbd399b2daddd52e7b551441ed21c2e7.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Brittany Ligdis smiles while holding her young son in a family photograph taken before her death.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I want this to be a day to remember Brittany, to memorialize her, the amazing person she was,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Think of her \u2014 all the things we miss about her, her kiss, her hug. I&#8217;ll miss everything myself. I will love her forever.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Kendall remains in county jail awaiting transfer to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-ylk=\"slk:Click Here To Download The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Click Here To Download The Fox News App<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Pinole Police Department told Fox News Digital it had no comment on Kendall&#8217;s sentencing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Contra Costa County District Attorney&#8217;s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital&#8217;s request for additional comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Original article source: <a data-ylk=\"slk:California mom begged for help before ex gunned her down in front of their 4-year-old son: DA;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/california-mom-begged-help-ex-gunned-down-front-4-year-old-son-da\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">California mom begged for help before ex gunned her down in front of their 4-year-old son: DA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"More than two years after a California mother&#8217;s desperate 911 call ended with her 4-year-old son witnessing her&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423285,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[168903,7,9,8,168902,52302],"class_list":["post-423284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-brittany-ligdis","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-jeffery-kendall","tag-kendall"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423284\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}