On July 3, 2007 the Honorable Judge Gerald Sevier sentenced Ricky Lee Chatman, 33, from Tulare to Life in Prison without the Possibility of Parole. The defendant also received an additional and consecutive term of 25 years to Life. Chatman was convicted by a Jury in January of 2007 for the First Degree Murder of Nathan Mathews, 26, Tulare. Additionally, the jury found to be true the special circumstance that the Murder was committed by Discharging a weapon from a vehicle with the intent to kill.

On February 18, 2004, Victim Nathan Mathews was parked at the gas pumps located in from of the Day and Night Market in Tulare when a small car drove alongside. Three shots were fired by Defendant Chatman from the small car. Mathews was killed instantly when one of the bullets struck him in the back of the head, while a second shot grazed his neck. Three shell casings were located, all of which were from a 7.62x39mm caliber rifle.

Detectives from the Tulare Police Department investigated the case and located witnesses who identified Defendant Chatman as the shooter. Within 24 hours of the shooting, Detective Haney had arrested Chatman along with another suspect, Eric Cole, 29 of Porterville. Within days, a third suspect, Lester Loman, 37 of Hanford turned himself in to the Detectives. Both Cole and Loman previously plead to charges of Voluntary Manslaughter and are scheduled to be sentenced later this summer.


The case was prosecuted by Supervising Attorney Timothy Ward along with Investigator Ken Smythe from the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations. Sgt. Brian Haney was the lead detective with the Tulare Police Department.


Contact Person:
Don H. Gallian, Assistant District Attorney (559) 733-6411
Timothy Ward, Supervising Attorney