Fresno Woman Pleads No Contest, Sentencing Looms in Sister's Death

Lisa Hinthorne entered a no contest plea on December 4 to criminal charges tied to the death of her half sister, Patty Kennett, whose body was found in 2023. The plea was entered hours before a scheduled preliminary hearing at which prosecutors intended to present new evidence. During the courtroom proceeding the judge noted that the charges Hinthorne pleaded to carry a maximum penalty of 40 years to life.

Investigators have said Hinthorne initially claimed Kennett had died without any hospital or ambulance records documenting treatment or transport. Subsequent investigation located a bloodied car belonging to Kennett in Madera and her body in a remote area near Coalinga. Those discoveries shaped the criminal inquiry and prompted prosecutors to pursue the charges that led to the December plea.

Family members have described shock and sorrow at the outcome. The plea ends the public phase of a preliminary hearing where additional evidence would have been revealed, and shifts the case toward the sentencing phase and any potential appeals. The court will determine a sentence within the statutory limits for the offenses to which Hinthorne pleaded.

For Fresno County residents the case underscores several local concerns. The recovery of property and a body in separate locations highlights the investigative challenges linked to crimes that involve multiple jurisdictions and rural terrain. The assertion that there were no hospital or ambulance records brings attention to how emergency medical and hospital documentation is collected and cross checked during homicide investigations. Local law enforcement and public safety officials may face renewed scrutiny over coordination between agencies when incidents span city, county, or remote jurisdictions.

The legal process now moves to sentencing and any further proceedings the defense or prosecution elects to pursue. The outcome will have a direct impact on the Kennett family, and it will inform public discussion in Fresno County about investigative transparency, interagency cooperation, and how the criminal justice system responds to violent deaths in rural communities.