In a deeply tragic incident that unfolded more than two years ago in California, a mother’s life was cut short while her 4-year-old son was a witness. The father, who prosecutors identified as the murderer, is now facing a lengthy prison sentence.
Jeffery Kendall, aged 39, received a sentence on Monday of 50 years to life for the murder of Brittany Elizabeth Ligdis, who was 30 years old at the time. This crime took place just 10 days after she ended their relationship, as stated by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
Kendall was found guilty of first-degree murder and child endangerment by a jury in May. The charges stemmed from endangering their young son, placing him in a dangerous and traumatic situation.
Booking photograph of Jeffery Kendall following his arrest for the murder of Brittany Ligdis. (KTVU)
According to prosecutors, on the morning of February 16, 2024, Ligdis made a frantic 911 call. In the call, she reported that Kendall had forcibly entered her home in Pinole while she and her young son were hiding in the laundry room.
About 90 seconds into the call, Kendall entered the room.
“Let go of me,” Ligdis pleaded, according to the district attorney’s office. “You’re scaring him.”
Law enforcement officers place Jeffery Kendall in handcuffs following his arrest in Santa Cruz, California. (California Highway Patrol)
Moments later, she screamed, “Stop it,” before Kendall shot her in the head, prosecutors said.
The couple’s son cried out, “Momma,” and fled the room while Kendall ran from the home. Responding officers found Ligdis dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Deputy District Attorney Tylyn Wells described the killing as “an execution in front of a 4-year-old child” and argued it was not the result of “a mental break,” according to the district attorney’s office.
A law enforcement officer escorts Jeffery Kendall through a police facility after his arrest. (California Highway Patrol via FOX 2 San Francisco)
Instead, Wells said the murder reflected a pattern often seen in domestic violence cases, where the danger escalates after a victim decides to leave.
Wells asked the court to impose a sentencing enhancement that increased Kendall’s punishment to 50 years to life.
Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Glenn Kim called the case “one of the most difficult” he had experienced before imposing two consecutive terms of 25 years to life.
Kim also barred Kendall from contacting his son, with limited exceptions subject to court approval, until November 2035, when the boy turns 16.
Separately, Judge Kim convicted Kendall of illegally possessing a 3D-printed semi-automatic pistol and determined that multiple factors supported a harsher sentence.
One year after Brittany Ligdis’ death, her mother shared an emotional video urging family and friends to remember her daughter’s life rather than the violence that ended it.
Brittany Ligdis smiles while holding her young son in a family photograph taken before her death. (KTVU)
“I want this to be a day to remember Brittany, to memorialize her, the amazing person she was,” she said. “Think of her — all the things we miss about her, her kiss, her hug. I’ll miss everything myself. I will love her forever.”
Kendall remains in county jail awaiting transfer to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The Pinole Police Department told News Media it had no comment on Kendall’s sentencing.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to News Media’s request for additional comment.