A Shasta County man has already been found guilty of murdering his neighbor in 2024. Now Robert Parker Milton’s fate rests on a jury’s determination about his sanity at the time.
That issue remains unresolved nearly two weeks after the jury determined that Milton, 35, was guilty of first-degree murder and resisting an officer in connection with the shooting and killing of 71-year-old William Dressler in 2024.
Milton allegedly shot Dressler when the older man was near Wilshire Drive and Brent Road in south Redding on Aug. 29, 2024.
Milton “engaged in violent conduct that indicates a serious danger to society,” the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement at the conclusion of the first part of the trial earlier in April. During the second portion of the trial that resumes on Wednesday, April 29, the jury will determine whether Milton was legally sane at the time he committed the charges, according to the district attorney’s office.
If he is found sane, Milton could be sentenced to 25 years to life, plus the enhancement of discharging a gun during the commission of the murder, which could bring an additional 25 years to life, according to the district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case.
It was not clear what could happen if the jury determines that Parker was not sane at the time of the crime. The district attorney’s office said in a statement that “due to the fact that we are currently in trial, it would not be appropriate to provide more information at this time.”
Milton was being held without bail in the Shasta County Jail, according to the jail’s website.
What allegedly happened in the case
According to a police report, Milton allegedly said he had never seen Dressler before he shot the man once in the chest.
After he shot Dressler, Milton told authorities that he then hit the man over the head twice with a cinder block, the police report said.
Both men lived in the same community, according to the police report.
The case faced delays.
In September 2024, during his first court appearance, Milton demanded to represent himself at trial.
Shasta County Superior Court Judge Adam Ryan suspended criminal proceedings against Milton at that time and ordered him to have psychological evaluations to determine if Milton would be able to represent himself.
Based on those evaluations, Ryan suspended criminal charges against Milton until the suspect was determined to be mentally competent to stand trial on the charges.
In late May 2025, after receiving medical treatment at Napa State Hospital and deemed restored to competency, criminal proceedings were reinstated against Milton in the murder case, according to the district attorney’s office.
In late January 2026, when Milton appeared in Shasta County Superior Court to receive a trial date, Judge Daniel Flynn said that no courtrooms were available due to a backlog.
Michele Chandler covers public safety, dining and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County man guilty of murder, now sanity decision looms
Reporting by Michele Chandler, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
