Life Without Parole Sentence for Tulare Woman Convicted of Murdering Husband
This morning in Department 22 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Pennie Henson Ince, age 54, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her 65-year-old husband last year.
At 1:19 pm on March 6, 2022, Ince called the victim’s daughter that the victim needed an ambulance and hung up. His daughter was unable to get in touch with either Ince or the victim by phone, so she went to the east Tulare residence and saw that her father’s truck was not there. Assuming they had taken him to the hospital, she left and began calling hospitals to locate her father. She later returned to the residence with a family friend who was able to pick the front door lock. The victim’s body was found in the entryway along with a shotgun in the living room.
Surveillance video captured by a neighbor revealed that the victim’s tan colored truck arrived at the residence at 1:08 PM. Another camera from the same residence captured an audible gunshot at 1:10 PM. The first camera then captured the victim’s truck leaving at 1:17 PM. Blood spatter in the doorway and pellet impacts indicated that the shot was fired from close range.
The defendant fled the area and evidence showed that she used the victim’s ATM card to withdraw $900 from an ATM after the murder. A cell phone ping placed Ince in Fresno and Fresno Police located the victim’s vehicle outside of a bar. The vehicle license plate had been swapped with a plate that had been taken from another vehicle. Fresno PD attempted to arrest Ince, who was inside a bar, but she became aware that police were outside through the bar’s surveillance system and escaped out the back door. Another cell phone ping was used, which located her phone, but it had been discarded by her.
She was eventually located on March 8, 2022, at a motel in Fresno. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and Fresno PD surrounded the motel and ordered her to surrender. She eventually complied and was taken into custody.
Further investigation revealed that Ince had made statements about harming her husband the day of the murder.
On October 18, 2023, Ince was found guilty of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait and that she personally used a firearm causing death.
The case was prosecuted by Supervising Deputy District Attorney Adam Clare.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Chief Deputy District Attorney Dave Alavezos (559) 636-5494