PALM DESERT, CA — Charges were dismissed Tuesday against a 56-year-old man previously accused of providing a fatal dose of methamphetamine to an acquaintance, following a judge's ruling there was insufficient evidence to bound the defendant over for trial.
William Joseph Leonard of Palm Desert was charged last year with involuntary manslaughter and possession of controlled substances for sale following a Cathedral City Police Department investigation into the death of 56- year-old Ricky Heath.
At the end of a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michael Dest at the Larson Justice Center in Indio dismissed both felony counts, finding no grounds for trying Leonard.
He had been free on bond during proceedings.
According to police, on the night of Jan. 18, 2025, fire department paramedics went to a property in the 34100 block of Linda Way after 911 calls of a person in medical distress. They found Heath in grave condition and attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy later determined the victim had succumbed to "acute methamphetamine intoxication."
A monthslong investigation ultimately pointed to Leonard as the alleged supplier, and an arrest warrant was served on him without incident.
No other details were disclosed at the time.
Leonard has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
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