A Riverside County Superior Court judge has dismissed both felony counts against a 56-year-old Palm Desert man who had been accused of causing the methamphetamine overdose death of an acquaintance in Cathedral City last year. Judge Michael Dest tossed the involuntary manslaughter and drug sales charges against William Joseph Leonard after a preliminary hearing ended Tuesday, finding there wasn't enough evidence to send the case to trial.
The dismissal, reported by KESQ, took place at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, where Leonard had been free on bond while the case moved through the courts. He'd faced charges of involuntary manslaughter and possession of controlled substances for sale stemming from the January 2025 death of Ricky Heath, a 56-year-old acquaintance described as a Cathedral City resident.
How the Case Against Leonard Began
The investigation traces back to January 18, 2025, when Cathedral City fire department paramedics responded to a property in the 34100 block of Linda Way after 911 callers reported a person in medical distress. Paramedics found Heath in grave condition and attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to audacy.com. An autopsy determined that Heath died from acute methamphetamine intoxication.
Cathedral City police investigated Heath's death for months before detectives identified Leonard as the alleged supplier, examining and testing evidence recovered from the residence, per the same account. Officers served an arrest warrant on Leonard without incident, and he was booked into the Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter. He was held on $25,000 bail at the time of his arrest.
Leonard's Criminal History
Leonard has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Under California law, manslaughter is defined by Penal Code section 192 as the unlawful killing of a human being without malice, a statute that comes in three forms according to California Legislative Information. The possession charge Leonard faced fell under Health and Safety Code section 11351, which addresses possessing or purchasing certain controlled substances for purposes of sale, the same legal database shows.
