Jeffery Kendall, 39, of Pinole, California, was sentenced Friday, July 31, to 50 years to life in prison for the February 2024 murder of 30-year-old Brittany Elizabeth Ligdis.
Kendall killed the woman just 10 days after she broke up with him.
On February 16, 2024, Kendall was convicted in May of first-degree murder.
A jury found the 39-year-old guilty of first-degree murder for shooting Brittany Elizabeth Ligdis in the head, and of child endangerment, for placing the couple’s child in danger.
Brittany Ligdis told dispatchers that Kendall had broken into her home and that she was hiding in the laundry room with her son. About 90 seconds into the call, Kendall entered the room. Brittany pleaded, “Let go of me” and “You’re scaring him,” before screaming, “Stop it.” Kendall then shot Brittany in the head.
The couple’s four-year-old son cried “Momma” and fled the room; Kendall fled the scene shortly after.
Responding officers found the victim dead of a gunshot wound to the head.
Ligdis’ friend Kassandra Santiago said in an interview that Ligdis sent her a text saying Kendall did not take the breakup well. “She said to me ‘I’m doing OK, but it’s really hard. He’s very unpredictable right now,'” Santiago said.
Santiago said Ligdis was studying at Diablo Valley College to become a nurse. She was known for her passion for nursing and her willingness to help fellow students, Santiago told the outlet.
Brittany Ligdis, 30, is remembered by her family as a loving mother. Months before her college graduation, the Pinole Police Department said her ex, Jeffrey Kendall, broke into her home and shot Ligdis in the head with an assault weapon.
Ligdis’ Aunt Nancy O’Neil, following the murder, told KTVU that Ligdis had called the police when Kendall broke into her home, and then hid in the laundry room with her son.
The 911 call captured the murder.
Deputy District Attorney Tylyn Wells said “an execution in front of a 4-year-old child,” arguing it was not the product of “a mental break” but a familiar pattern in domestic violence cases: a threat that escalates once a victim decides to leave.
Judge Glenn Kim found Kendall guilty of possessing an assault weapon — a 3D-printed pistol capable of semi-automatic fire — and ruled that six aggravating sentencing factors tied to that charge were true.
Judge Kim called the case “one of the most difficult” he has experienced.
He imposed two consecutive terms of 25 years to life, totaling 50 years to life, and barred Kendall from contacting his son, with limited exceptions subject to court approval, until November 2035, when the boy turns 16.
Ligdis’ mother, Cathy, spoke out for the first time to share her family’s painful story. Cathy wishes to keep Ligdis’ memory alive, as well as warn others about the dangers of domestic violence.
“Such heavy pain, heavy grief, but I don’t want this to be about my pain and grief. I want this to be a day to remember Brittany … and the amazing person she was. All the things we miss about her, you know, her kiss, her hug, I’ll miss everything,” Cathy said. “I will love her forever. I love you, Brittany.”
In the viral moment that shocked the Bay Area, a 911 call captured the murder as it unfolded on the morning of February 16th. The victim, Brittany Ligdis, told dispatchers that Jeffery Kendall had broken into her home and that she was hiding in the laundry room with her son. About 90 seconds into the call, Kendall entered the room. Brittany pleaded, “Let go of me” and “You’re scaring him,” before screaming, “Stop it.” Kendall then shot Brittany in the head. The couple’s four-year-old son cried “Momma” and fled the room; Kendall fled the scene shortly after.
Kendall was caught on camera fleeing the crime scene, according to police. Following a manhunt, he was found and arrested by California Highway Patrol officers in Santa Cruz.
Kendall remains in county jail awaiting transfer to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to begin serving his sentence.