Fresno woman convicted of gruesome 2018 murder of Vietnam War veteran

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno woman will spend the rest of her life in prison after a Kings County jury convicted her of torturing and murdering a Vietnam War veteran.

Stacie Mendoza, 42, was found guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances last Friday.

Prosecutors said she befriended 74-year-old Kenneth Coyle while working as a waitress at a local restaurant.

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Stacie Mendoza and her husband, Jose Mendoza, were arrested in April of 2018. Investigators said the two tortured Coyle at his house before killing him.

Stacie Mendoza is not eligible for parole. She will be sentenced on July 1.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story indicated Stacie Mendoza was from Hanford. That was incorrect. She is from Fresno. The story has been updated to reflect the change.