Defendant Sentenced for Murdering, Dismembering 77-Year-Old Victim

DATE: November 10, 2025

CASE: Darnell Erby (Case #22FE012161)

PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney James Wax, Homicide Unit

On November 7, 2025, the Honorable Laurel White sentenced Darnell Erby to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On June 17, 2025, Darnell Erby was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder with the special circumstance that the murder was committed during a burglary found true. Erby was also convicted of mutilation and five counts of burglary with the allegation he was armed with a deadly weapon found true. Allegations that Erby has prior strike convictions for residential burglary and an aggravating factor that his prior convictions are numerous or of increasing seriousness were found true at the sentencing hearing.

Darnell Erby acquainted himself with the victim, 77-year-old Pamela May, who lived alone in her North Highlands home. Early the morning of July 15, 2022, Erby crawled through a gap in her back fence and entered her home without permission. He found the victim inside and used her clothing to bind her face and hands before ultimately killing her inside her home. He then stole property from her residence. He also attempted to steal the victim's home by transferring it to his name. Over the following days, Erby returned to the house and dismembered the victim's body before placing it into garbage bags. Before Erby was able to fully dispose of the victim's remains, police were alerted to the murder and located the victim's body.