2 Sentenced to 15 Years to Life in Woodland Hills Strangling

Two San Fernando Valley men, accused of strangling a suspected drug dealer with a telephone cord in a dispute over money, were each sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Thursday for second-degree murder.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Darlene Schempp sentenced Roy Hiroshi Nakashima, 23, of Woodland Hills, and Lance Susumu Umenoto, 24, of Canoga Park, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of William Swingler, 39.

Swingler’s girlfriend found him dead on the floor of his Woodland Hills apartment late on the night of Oct. 15, 1986, police said. His hands had been tied behind his back with his bathrobe belt, and a telephone cord was wrapped around his neck, Deputy Dist. Atty. Larry Diamond said.

About $7,000 in cash was missing from Swingler’s apartment, said Detective Larry Dolley of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Death Penalty

Nakashima and Umenoto were arrested eight days later and charged with one count each of murder in the course of a robbery. That charge made the two men subject to the death penalty or life in prison without possibility of parole, Diamond said.

But after a plea bargain with prosecutors, the men on May 19 pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which carries a penalty of 15 years to life.

Diamond said prosecutors accepted the pleas to the lesser crime because they lacked evidence to prove the more serious charges.

After their arrests, Umenoto told Los Angeles police that he and Nakashima had gone to Swingler’s apartment to try to retrieve money or jewelry, Diamond said. Umenoto said Swingler had cheated Nakashima out of undisclosed property, which police believe was cocaine, Diamond said. Umenoto told police they did not intend to kill Swingler but merely to tie him up so they could flee, Dolley said.