Ericka J. Wilson was killed by the father of her child in January 2022 in southern California

Ericka J. Wilson

Ericka J. Wilson.Credit : San Diego County District Attorney

A California man who was found covered in his estranged wife’s blood after viciously killing her outside her home in January 2022 has been sentenced.

The victim, 29-year-old Ericka J. Wilson, was ambushed outside her Spring Valley, Calif., home by Kandynn Wilson, who fatally stabbed her 23 times in the neck, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement announcing his sentence this week.

The statement didn’t provide the date of the attack, but according to her online obituary, Ericka, who shared a child with Kandynn, died on Jan. 28, 2022.

Kandynn, now 34, was found guilty in December 2025 of murdering Ericka after traveling from Oakland, Calif., to kill her.

The investigation revealed Kandynn took a “vacation day” from work on the day of the killing and traveled about 500 miles to Spring Valley, where he hid outside what he mistakenly thought was Ericka’s workplace, the DA’s office said.

When Kandynn realized he was at the wrong location, he traveled to Ericka’s residence and hid in the parking lot inside his vehicle.

As Ericka drove into the parking lot and got out of her car, Kandynn attacked her with “vicious brutality,” the DA’s office said in its statement.

A neighbor saw the attack and chased Kandynn with a bat, causing him to flee on foot and, in turn, leave behind his glove, murder weapon and vehicle.

Kandynn was caught a few hours later, the DA’s office said, and was drenched in Ericka’s blood when police found him.

Ericka J. Wilson, Kandynn Wilson

Ericka J. Wilson (left); and Kandynn Wilson.

San Diego County District Attorney/YouTube

Kandynn was convicted of first-degree murder, with a lying in wait special circumstance, according to the DA’s office. He was sentenced to life without parole plus one year in prison for the killing.

“Intimate partner violence continues to be one of the most common and dangerous forms of violence we confront, and this case is a stark reminder of its devastating impact,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said in part of the statement.

“We must keep fighting to safeguard victims of domestic violence and hold their abusers accountable,” she added.