William Fletcher found guilty of assault in the first degree

DAYTON—Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney Dale Slack said it took jurors just 45 minutes to return a verdict of Guilty of Assault in the First Degree in the trial for the State vs. William Fletcher. Fletcher had been charged with First Degree Assault for allegedly beating Laura Romig, in her Dayton home, in Jan. 2019. Romig is wheelchair-bound, and the assault left her with substantial injuries requiring treatment in a Spokane hospital.

Slack said jurors agreed to a special verdict of Deliberate Cruelty of a Particularly Vulnerable Victim.

The judge can sentence outside of the standard range and up to the maximum sentence of Life in Prison, Slack said.

“We are still working on getting certified copies of his criminal history from California. California is notoriously difficult to get these records from, so I can’t yet comment on the standard range, because I’m not sure what prior convictions I can prove.”

Because this is a Class A felony and a Three Strikes offense, there will be a Dept. of Corrections presentencing investigation and report.

Sentencing will be set in Columbia County Superior Court on Sept. 16.