Front Page  »  

Arroyo Grande woman sentenced to more than 15 years in prison

March 23, 2021

Chelsea Stiles

An Arroyo Grande woman was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison on Monday for manslaughter. Last year, a jury found 27-year-old Chelsea Stiles guilty of nine charges including manslaughter.

In Dec. 2019, Stiles drove while under the influence of cocaine causing a crash on Highway 227 that killed Terry Tilton, 72, of San Luis Obispo. Stiles’ 18-month old daughter and two dogs were also in her vehicle at the time of the collisions.

Because of a previous DUI conviction, Stiles was eligible for a murder conviction. On the charge of murder, which requires a unanimous verdict, the jury’s decision was split 11-1 in favor of guilt.

The jury convicted Stiles of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of a drug causing death, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon using an automobile; leaving the scene of a vehicle collision causing injury, child abuse and misdemeanor possession of cocaine.


Loading...
Related:


6 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Her charges used to be considered non violent .. But that was changed awhile back to violent she will serve approximately 85% of her sentence which will be about 13yrs 4 months unless she receives an early release or an appeal is granted …She will be housed with the worst of the worst inmates, women prisoners are no joke .Every minute of everyday asleep or awake she will be on high alert trying to keep herself from paroling in a pine box and at the same time trying not to become another inmates forced girlfriend .. She is in for a very rough 13 years of Hell


3

Well, she literally got away with murder. Too bad that one juror held back a guilty vote. Sad really…


2

15 years and 8 months in prison is getting away with it? She will miss the entire childhood and adolescence of her daughter. That she isn’t locked up for the rest of her life is probably not much consolation to her right now. But, sure, you’re right, she should have gotten the gas chamber. An eye for an eye!


-6

I should clarify. The sentence is solid. The verdict should have been murder base on the events.


4

Since I first learned of this tragic occurrence I have stated that who she obtained the cocaine from should be found and at the minimum the supplier and the chain of supply should be made public and that any portion she had be tested and her blood sample by an independant lab even though most halucinogenics are undetectable at least a test attempted.

Unfortunately yesterday a California senate bill that would have made sellers of fentanyl guilty of murder and attempted murder failed to pass


15

I knew Terry from French-language meetup. He was a good guy.


14