Porterville Development Center client gets life sentence in prison for murder

A resident of Porterville Developmental Center has been sentenced to 16 years to life in prison for murdering a fellow client.

Sheila Allen, 28, a client of the state facility for people with intellectual disabilities, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said.

Late on Dec. 18, 2013, Allen entered the room of a 36-year-old female resident and strangled her with the electrical cord of a DVD player, the district attorney’s office said. She returned to her room and notified the staff.

She told police she did not like her housing assignment and committed the crime to receive a new assignment.

The case was prosecuted by Supervising Deputy District Attorney Cindy Underwood and investigated by Porterville police. Allen was sentenced Monday by Judge Antonio Reyes at the South County Justice Center in Porterville.

This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Porterville Development Center client gets life sentence in prison for murder."