Lake County man pleads guilty to fatal stabbing of neighbor

A Lake County man has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the May 2013 stabbing death of a neighbor.

Darrell Sidwell, 58, of Clearlake, will be sentenced to six years in prison for killing Brad Beaudoin, 43, said Sidwell's attorney, Stephen Carter, of Lower Lake.

Sidwell likely will serve four years of that sentence, he said. Had he been convicted of the murder charge filed against him he would have faced up to life in prison, Carter said.

Sidwell stabbed Beaudoin in the stomach with a knife following a daylong argument over where a boat was parked, Carter said.

Beaudoin was able to identify his killer just before dying, Clearlake police said at the time.

The victim had illegal and prescription drugs in his system and Sidwell had high levels of alcohol in his, Carter said.

Sidwell's intoxication would have made it difficult to prove the killing was premeditated, Carter said.