Drunk driver pleads no contest to murder of two kids

August 29, 2017

Jerald Brandon Holman

A man who killed two children while driving drunk on Highway 166 last Labor Day pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree murder. Jerald Brandon Holman, 37, will now receive a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.

On Sept. 5, 2016, Holman, of Bakersfield, was driving westbound on Highway 166 when he crashed head-on into a car carrying a couple from Yucaipa and their two children. All four members of the Yucaipa family suffered minor to moderate injuries.

Two of Holman’s passengers, a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, were ejected from his car and killed. The children’s mother, Todesha Lewis, 26, suffered minor injuries.

Holman was driving without a valid driver’s license at the time of the crash. He had been sentenced to state prison on three prior occasions.

On Monday, Holman pleaded no contest to a count of felony DUI causing injury in addition to the two murder charges. Holman likewise admitted to three enhancements for causing great bodily injury and one enhancement for injuring multiple victims.

Prosecutors initially filed eight felony charges against Holman. They agreed to drop some of the charges as part of the plea deal.

Holman’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 18 in the courtroom of Judge Craig van Rooyen.


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This is what “Stuck On Stupid” looks like with the result being the tragic deaths of the Children!


Kids ejected from the car. Likely no seat belt for the 7 year old and no car seat for the 4 year old. These kids never stood a chance after losing life’s lottery by being born to this idiot. Very sad indeed.


Maybe prison is the best place for Mr. Holman. I don’t know. I would’ve rather seen Mr. Holman become a productive member of society and enjoying the benefits therein. It is a sad case all around.


At 37 young years of age, this loser has already been sentenced to state prison THREE times.

He was driving without a license, which undoubtedly rated quite low on his list of “get your sh*t together” items, considering he was driving while intoxicated with a woman and two small, (now dead) children in the car.

He’s damn lucky he didn’t kill 4 more people.


Exactly when do you suppose he was going to become a productive member of society?

The answer is he’s not going to…some people NEVER learn.


It really is too bad those kids had to die for this deadbeat to be locked up where he can’t hurt any other innocent people. Their mother has to live with her poor decision to get in the car with a drunk for the rest of her life.


‘At 37 young years of age, this loser has already been sentenced to state prison THREE times.’


Yeah, the article already referenced that he was in prison in three separate occasions.


‘He was driving without a license, which undoubtedly rated quite low on his list of “get your sh*t together” items, considering he was driving while intoxicated with a woman and two small, (now dead) children in the car.

He’s damn lucky he didn’t kill 4 more people.’


Mr. Holman did do a stupid, reckless thing. I’m not disagreeing with any of that. Why aren’t you asking for the mother to be put in prison as well? Those were her kids and while she was buckled up her kids were not. While It isn’t just his fault in this the majority of the fault does go with him.


‘Exactly when do you suppose he was going to become a productive member of society?

The answer is he’s not going to…some people NEVER learn.’


Yeah, but some people do learn. Something does click inside that straightens them out. It obviously didn’t happen in this case. Who knows why or why not.


‘It really is too bad those kids had to die for this deadbeat to be locked up where he can’t hurt any other innocent people. Their mother has to live with her poor decision to get in the car with a drunk for the rest of her life.’ Yeah, she also has to live with not buckling up her kids.


He is still hurting innocents by taking up resources that could be used for someone/something else so I think that is incorrect.


He’s going home.


“He’s going home.”


Hopefully, this time for good.